The Indian government is set to invest Rs 31,000 crore to secure the entire 1,643 km border with Myanmar, a region notorious for smuggling arms, ammunition, and narcotics. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that fencing work has been completed on 30 km of the border, a measure he links to addressing the ethnic violence in Manipur.
The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the project, which includes constructing fencing and roads along the border. This initiative aims to fortify the boundary that stretches across Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Currently, about 10 km of fencing has been completed near Moreh, with an additional 21 km under construction in other parts of Manipur. The Central government has also ended the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR), which previously allowed residents near the border to travel 16 km into the neighboring territory without documentation. This policy, introduced in 2018 under India's Act East policy, has been revoked to enhance border security.
Home Minister Shah has been actively monitoring the situation in Manipur, where security measures are being bolstered. Two battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are now stationed in the region, along with approximately 200 companies of central police forces deployed in the affected states.
To aid the local population, the Manipur government has launched 25 mobile vans that serve as mobile shops, providing essential goods at fair prices. Additionally, Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars (KPKB), or police canteens, have opened 16 new stores—eight in valley districts and eight in hilly areas—to ensure continued access to necessities.
The violence in Manipur began on May 3 of the previous year following a tribal solidarity march protesting the majority Meitei community's push for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, over 220 individuals, including members of the Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel, have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.
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