Joint Tribes Council urges PM to Act on “Unchecked Illegal Migration” and threats to indigenous communities

The Joint Tribes Council Manipur, comprising Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme communities, has submitted a strongly worded memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Governor of Manipur, urging urgent intervention over what it terms an alarming rise in illegal migration and its consequences for indigenous populations.
The Council says illegal migrants from Myanmar and other neighbouring Indian states have continuously streamed into Manipur, straining resources to a breaking point, and threatening cultural identity, economic stability and traditional livelihoods. New settlements along almost all major highways, it claimed, have mushroomed and are largely a part of rampant deforestation coupled with large-scale poppy cultivation. Many of these settlements, the memorandum said, were being protected by several armed groups which illegally tax movement of vehicles, restrict the movement of communities living in the Imphal valley, and have been laying claims to ancestral Naga lands as their own. In addition, the Council accused these groups of constructing roads through indigenous villages without the latter’s consent and naming the routes after militant leaders. Unauthorized check gates near the Naga villages, it added, have instilled fear and uncertainty among residents.
The memorandum expresses deep concern that indigenous groups now feel like “refugees in their own homeland,” noting anxiety about the future of their children. It cites census data to claim an “unusual” rise in Kuki-Chin population over the decades, rising by more than 460 percent between 1951 and 2011, and points to what it describes as demographic imbalance reflected in the growing number of Kuki-Chin MLAs compared to declining Naga representation.
The council further enumerates a number of violent incidents from as far back as the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn from British-era records, alleging multiple attacks on Naga and other indigenous villages by Kuki groups. It says many similar atrocities went undocumented because of poor communication systems in earlier periods.
In its appeal, the Joint Tribes Council asks the Government of India to identify and deport illegal migrants, dismantle unlawful settlements especially those engaged in poppy cultivation, and take away armed groups operating in these areas so that peace and sense of security are restored. It has asked the Prime Minister for prioritizing the issue to save demographic balance and dignity and safety of indigenous communities. A copy of the memorandum has also been submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.