Manipur: Biren Singh-led Govt to start ‘War on Illegal Migrant’; House …

The Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, known for his War on Drug campaign, is all set to launch an intensive drive to efface the menace of the illegal influx in the Northeastern state of India. Exclusively speaking to Organiser, the Chief Minister said that the indigenous people of the state have been reduced to the status of second-class citizens after the "foreigner Kuki' immigrants have taken control of their social, political and economic affairs of the state. The leaders of two armed underground groups ZRA (Zomi Revolutionary Army) and KNO (Kuki National Organisation) which are under Suspension of Operation are not indigenous people of the state; they are foreigners.

ZRO Chief is a former Member of Parliament from the National League of Democracy, Myanmar while the KNO Chief is a native of Akan village, Phek District of Nagaland, alleged the Chief Minister while expressing his apprehension about creating a ring of such illegal migrants to control over the politics, administration, economy of the indigenous tribes like Thadou of Manipur. The presence of foreign militants like ZRA and KNO on the soil of Manipur creates a haven for illegal Kuki migrants from neighbouring Myanmar. Since the Myanmar Kuki are also from the Chin-Kuki-Mizo community, it's difficult to identify them once they have entered Manipur.

With all the muscle power and money from smuggling contraband drugs, the immigrant Kuki started subjugating the native Thadou and other tribes leading to social disparity and harmony, observed the Chief Minister. The explosion: The so-called Kuki armed groups were formed after the infamous Naga-Kuki conflict (1992- 1997) to protect the community from the ethnic cleansing war.

The tri-partied Suspension of Operation with Kuki militants was first conducted in 2005. By that time the number of Kuki villages has increased manyfold in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Chandel districts. Villages in Kangpokpi district have increased from 179 In 1969 to 534 in 2021.

In Churachandpur district, number of villages have increased from 216 in 1969 to 544 in 2021. While, the number of villages in Tengnoupal district, which shares a boundary with the Sagaing Region of Myanmar, has increased from 232 in 1969 to 446 in 2021. District Name Villages in 1969 Villages in 2021 Increase:

The porous Indo-Myanmar border and the presence of " foreign militants" like ZRO and KNO have fueled the immigration along the border districts. The Khengjang village (Reserve Forest) in Churachandpur district, Manipur had no houses in 2006 but in 2021 there are above 1200 households.

The satellite map of Khengjang village indicating the increasing number of households.

Satellite map of Khengjang in 2021Satellite map of Khengjang in 2006

The porous Indo-Myanmar border and the presence of " foreign militants" like ZRO and KNO have fueled immigration along the border districts. The Khengjang village (Reserve Forest) in Churachandpur district, Manipur had no houses in 2006 but in 2021 there are above 1200 households. This is the alarming situation that the people of Manipur are facing at present.

The Mechanism There is no need for doing politics; when we couldn't protect the people and the indigenous, said the Chief Minister while highlighting the threat imposed by illegal migrants in Manipur. The State Government has constituted the Manipur State Population Commission, and house-to-house identification of illegal migrants will start soon.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee had constituted three Cabinet Ministers (Letpao Haokip, Th Basanta Singh and Awangbow Newmai) to monitor the migrants along the border and take appropriate measures to accommodate undocumented immigrants from neighbouring countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh. Even the government will start biometric-based identification of migrants, who are fleeing from conflict-torn Myanmar. Besides cancelling the erstwhile Free Movement Regime (FMR) that allowed to travel 16 kilometres across the border on either side without any visa requirements, the government has also resolved the border dispute and geared up the process for building a robust Indo-Myanmar border fencing.

After the Central government's approval, the establishment of 34 police stations along the Indo-Myanmar border started. It will help the state government in monitoring the immigrants from Myanmar. Demand for NRC

The people of the state were not well aware of the threat posed by migrants and its gravity till BJP came to power in 2017. The recent uprising and demand for the identification of migrants is a call of the native people of the state. Civil society organizations, student bodies and pressure groups have been urging for the implementation of the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in Manipur.

The State Government has appraised the Central Government, Biren, who is being optimistic about the Central government's approval to implement NRC in Manipur, informed during the interview.