Mizoram MP asks Centre to reconsider decision to fence India-Myanmar border

Aizawl, Feb 9 (PTI) Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to reconsider the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border, and asserted that the move will create hardship for Mizo people.

The MP also said it was learnt that "there is an intention to withdraw the free movement regime which allows people to cross up to 16 kms on both sides of the international border".

"If such fencing is carried out on the India-Myanmar side, we only stand to lose more than 500 km of precious fishing grounds and agricultural land," the Mizoram MP said.

Vanlalvena also stated that the removal of the free movement regime is bound to create hardship for people on both sides.

He said the current international boundary with the neighbouring country was arbitrarily demarcated by the British without proper ground survey.

"...this wrongly demarcated border was never corrected but simply forced upon us as the new international border which remains till this day as a great injustice to our people," Vanlalvena wrote in the letter on Thursday.

He said the Centre's decision to fence the international border has shocked the Mizo people.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had already objected to the Centre's decision to erect a fence along the India-Myanmar border. PTI