The Meitei/Meetei Tribe Union (MMTU) has asserted that conducting the Census without first implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not address the issue of illegal immigration in Manipur, describing the matter as the state’s “core issue” that threatens the future of its indigenous communities.
In a statement, the Union said the Census exercise initiated by the Governments of India and Manipur is intended to identify illegal immigrants and prevent the creation of a separate territorial base by foreign nationals in the state. However, it alleged that despite repeated announcements on identifying and deporting illegal immigrants, the authorities have failed to take effective action.
The MMTU claimed that illegal immigrants from Myanmar have settled across large parts of Manipur’s hill districts and alleged that infrastructure, including roads and bridges, has been developed in some of these areas without adequate scrutiny, facilitating such settlements. It further alleged that some illegal immigrants have occupied influential positions in governance and administration and have acquired land belonging to indigenous communities.
According to the Union, the demand for implementation of the NRC has long been raised by the people of Manipur to identify and deport illegal immigrants. It noted that although the Census, originally scheduled to begin on April 1 this year, has been postponed until August 17, no meaningful steps have been taken during the intervening period either to implement the NRC or to identify and remove illegal immigrants.
The statement also alleged that while the Government of India has issued notifications regarding the deportation of illegal immigrants and foreign nationals, these have not been effectively enforced. It argued that deportation would be difficult without implementing the NRC or establishing another legally robust mechanism to verify citizenship.
Expressing concern over repeated delays in implementing the NRC, the MMTU said public confidence in the government’s commitment to resolving the issue has diminished. It recalled that the Manipur Legislative Assembly had adopted two resolutions on the NRC and that agreements relating to the identification of illegal immigrants were reached in 1980 and 1994, but claimed that none had been implemented in practice.
Referring to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Union alleged that the exercise has exposed the presence of illegal immigrants in the electoral rolls. Citing the reported exclusion of Saikot MLA Paolienlal’s name from the draft SIR electoral roll, the MMTU described the incident as only the “tip of the iceberg.”
The Union further claimed that more than one million people from other parts of India have applied for Inner Line Permits (ILP) to enter Manipur since the permit system was introduced in the state. It questioned the discrepancy between records of those entering and those leaving the state and called for greater transparency in monitoring migration.
Describing illegal immigration as an issue affecting all indigenous communities, the MMTU urged people in both the hills and the valley to remain united in safeguarding Manipur’s territorial integrity. It maintained that the issue is not confined to any particular civil society organisation but concerns the future and survival of all indigenous people in the state.
The Union said that identifying illegal immigrants is not directed against any particular ethnic community but is necessary to uphold the rule of law. It called upon the Governments of India and Manipur to enforce existing laws impartially and take concrete measures to address the issue.