Protest rallies were taken out in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district and Mizoram’s Champhai district on Thursday against the Centre’s decisions to scrap the free movement regime (FMR) and fence the Myanmar border.

Hundreds participated in the protest rally organised by the Tengnoupal district units of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT) and the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) from St Peter’s Church to the Tengnoupal bazar, a distance of half-a-km. A public meeting was also held after the rally.

Students were seen with placards that said “Respect people’s sentiments” and “We object FMR & border fencing in Tengnoupal district”.

Mimin Mate, chief, KSO, Tengnoupal block, said the rally was against the Centre’s decision on FMR and border fencing and it should not go ahead with the twin decisions.

Churachandpur, Chandel, Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul are five districts in strife-hit Manipur that share a 398-km-long border with Myanmar. Besides Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510-km) also share border with Myanmar.

Rallies were also held in Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages in Mizoram’s Champhai district bordering Myanmar on Thursday over the twin issues. Organised by the Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO), thousands participated in the rallies with protestors carrying placards and banners not to go ahead with the decisions. Reports suggest people from neighbouring Myanmar villages participated in the Zokhawthar rally.