Fresh reports concerning the India-Myanmar border have revived longstanding concerns over the protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity, prompting renewed calls for greater transparency in the demarcation of the international boundary.
An investigative report published by The Diplomat on July 17 claimed that the Government of India has sanctioned US$3.22 billion (approximately Rs. 27,000 crore) for fencing and constructing patrol tracks along the 1,643-km India-Myanmar border. The report further alleged that an internal proposal under consideration involves resolving an undemarcated stretch between Border Pillars 65 and 68 in Chandel district, reportedly through a territorial adjustment of about 3.6 sq km. The Government of India has neither confirmed the existence of such a proposal nor announced any policy involving territorial exchange.
The development has brought back memories of the 2018 border pillar controversy, extensively reported by Imphal Times, when residents of Kwatha Khunou in Tengnoupal district alleged that the proposed alignment of Border Pillar No. 81 would place nearly three kilometres of land claimed by villagers inside Myanmar.
Reports published by Imphal Times on June 30, 2018 quoted local organisations, including the Communist Party of India (Manipur) and the Manipur People’s Task Committee (MPTC), alleging that the alignment would affect agricultural land, forests and ancestral village areas. Villagers also claimed that the proposed boundary did not correspond with historical records, customary village boundaries or traditional landmarks.
The newspaper subsequently documented public protests, memoranda submitted to the Central Government and demands for an independent verification of the boundary. Following sustained protests, a high-level team comprising officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Surveyor General of India and the Land Ports Authority of India visited the disputed site on July 25, 2018. However, villagers later alleged that their historical evidence and local testimonies had not been given due consideration.
Imphal Times also reported similar concerns from K. Ashang Khullen in Kamjong district, where villagers alleged that Myanmar security personnel had prevented them from constructing houses in areas they considered to be within Indian territory.
The Government of India had rejected allegations of territorial loss, maintaining that the joint verification exercise was carried out strictly under the 1967 India-Myanmar Boundary Agreement and involved only verification of existing border pillars and installation of subsidiary pillars without altering the international boundary.
Despite those assurances, concerns over unresolved stretches of the border have persisted. With thousands of crores being invested in securing the Indo-Myanmar frontier, the latest reports have renewed public demands for clarity on boundary demarcation. Border residents and civil society groups have maintained that while strengthening border security is essential, any exercise affecting Manipur’s international boundary must be transparent and ensure that no part of Indian territory is compromised.