Chandel District Village Chiefs Voice Strong Opposition to Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing

In a major turn of events underscoring the pervasive ethnic and political tensions in Manipur, fourteen village chiefs belonging to the Kuki-Zo community from regions along the Indo-Myanmar border in Chandel district have signed a joint resolution strongly rejecting the central government's continuing border fencing scheme. This joint stance reflects an underlying tension between state security initiatives and local community desires in the context of the deadly ethnic violence that broke out in the state in May 2023.

In their joint pronouncement, the chiefs have made an outright ban on any construction work pertaining to the border fence in their respective domains. Their choice is based on what they term "widespread anxiety" among villagers. They contend that the demarcation and fencing activities threaten severely their ancestral land, cultural identity, and community interests. The border area has a number of Kuki-Zo settlements, and the people are concerned that the physical wall will disrupt traditional village borders, separate families and communities with cross-border relationships, and irreparably harm their trans-border social and cultural fabric.

The village leaders' statement comes as a stark threat to the authorities. They have openly warned that if the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) or any other concerned organization goes ahead with the construction activity in spite of their protests, the chiefs "will not be held responsible for any consequences that may follow." The tone reflects a threat of intensified conflict and resistance at the local level if the project is pursued in the face of their opposition.

Most importantly, the protest against the border fence is directly attached to a broader, age-old political demand. The chiefs have asserted that their support comes with a precondition, calling on the government and respective agencies to immediately halt all construction work pending the fulfillment of the demand for a Separate Administration for the Kuki-Zo people. This political demand for a Separate Administration, independent of the state of Manipur, has been a key plank of the Kuki-Zo people's position from the time of the violent confrontations with the Meitei people started more than a year ago. The same has resulted in a de facto territorial segregation of the two peoples, and the Separate Administration demand has made extensive inroads among the Kuki-Zo people since.

This united stance by the border village heads is more than a demonstration against an infrastructure development project; it is a strong political declaration. It indicates the deep distrust between the Kuki-Zo society and the state government, dominated as it is by the Meitei community. By linking the suspension of a national security project to their fundamental political desire, the chiefs are using their strategic leverage to magnify their call on an enlarged platform. The issue poses a knotty dilemma for the central and state governments, setting national border security against the genuine land, identity, and political interests of a minority community that feels threatened and excluded. The unrest in Manipur therefore continues to discover new flashpoints, with the border fencing project now proving to be the most recent catalyst for possible heightening.