COCOMI pitches for NRC, population commission
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 13 2023: The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the Government to make the Manipur Population Commission operational and update NRC with respect to Manipur so as to identify indigenous peoples as well as outsiders.

Speaking to media persons at New Checkon office of CCSK this evening, COCOMI Coordinator Jeetendra Ningomba said that COCOMI has been demanding activation of the population commission and updation of NRC in view of the incessant influx of illegal migrants, threats posed by illegal immigrants to indigenous people and the resulting demographic imbalance.

Even though the State Government has set up a population commission, the commission has not been made operational till date, he lamented before urging the Government to make the commission operational at the earliest.

Indigenous people and outsiders should be identified at the earliest by updating the NRC.

Illegal migrants should never be allowed to act as if they are the real owners of the land, the COCOMI Coordinator asserted.

The Government must formulate a policy and ensure that the illegal migrants do not settle for good in Manipur, he said.

Meanwhile, the issue of shrinking or disappearing lakes, wetlands and agricultural lands needs immediate attention of all the people, Jeetendra continued.

The Government must check and prevent all types of encroachment into reserved forests and protected forests, and protect wetlands, lakes and other water bodies, he asserted.

Saying that the COCOMI is a conglomerate of several organisations of indigenous communities, the Coordinator said that the COCOMI also opposes all ethno-centric activities which challenge the unity of the indigenous communities.

Comment