IT News
Imphal, July 25:
In an unsettling revelation, the government of Manipur disclosed that 718 undocumented immigrants from Myanmar infiltrated the state’s Chandel district on July 22 and 23. This development intensifies ongoing allegations by the Meitei community, among others in Manipur, claiming that Assam Rifles – the nation’s oldest paramilitary force – has been supporting Kuki insurgents and facilitating an influx of Myanmarese immigrants.
The fresh surge of undocumented migrants and the seeming inability of the Assam Rifles to control it has sparked a wave of discontent among the local populace. Given that an average of 359 people managed to infiltrate the state each day, concerns arise that the current border enforcement could potentially allow an annual influx of over 131,000 Myanmarese refugees.
In light of these circumstances, the Manipur government has questioned Assam Rifles, the force in charge of safeguarding the Indo-Myanmar border, on the lapse in security that allowed the influx. The state government is also insisting on the force’s immediate intervention to repatriate these illegal immigrants.
On Monday, Manipur’s Chief Secretary, Vineet Joshi, demanded a prompt explanation from Assam Rifles regarding the entry of undocumented Myanmarese individuals into India. He further instructed the border force to execute the immediate deportation of these immigrants.
The Home Department announced that the group of 718 undocumented migrants includes 301 minors who infiltrated the Chandel district on the specified dates. The government, led by Chief Minister Biren Singh, announced that the issue of the recent influx would be handled with due sensitivity, given its international implications and the precarious law and order situation in the state.
In an effort to gain clarity on this pressing issue, the state government has requested a detailed report from Assam Rifles to explain how the migrants were allowed entry without proper documentation. Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Chandel district have been instructed to maintain detailed records, including biometrics and photographs, of all the infiltrating individuals.
Manipur shares a 398-km long porous border with Myanmar, across which reside the Chins, an ethnic group closely related to Manipur’s Kukis. With over 140 lives lost, many injured, and incidents of arson being reported across the state, the Manipur government and its people are not taking this issue lightly, given the already tense situation in the region.
