FOGS denounces border pass' scheme
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 29 2024: Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), Manipur has demanded that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoke its decision permitting travel for up to 10 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border with possession of 'border pass' issued by the Assam Rifles. With reference to the MHA letter addressed to the state government, FOCS information and public relations secretary Nerish Mangang recounted home minister Amit Shah's statement that the conflict is caused by influx of illegal migrants from Myanmar, followed by MHA's announcement to suspend the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar on ground of internal security and secure the demography of North Eastern states.

As such, the recent decision of the MHA allowing movement of people within 10 km of Indo-Myanmar border under a new scheme is perplexing as well as unacceptable to public, FOCS maintained, while claiming to have evidence about exponential growth in the number of villages in the hill districts mostly settled by illegal immigrants from Myanmar.

Though the cabinet sub-committee constituted in February 2023 had identified 2480 illegal immigrants/ refugees from Myanmar and arranged their temporary shelter at Haolenphai and other areas near the Indo-Myanmar border, all these infiltrators have dispersed to unknown locations owing to the unrest situation gripping the state since May 3, 2023, pointed out the secretary.

FOCS also referred to the letter sent by Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing to chief minister demanding deportation of illegal immigrants on account of their burgeoning population exceeding that of border villages in Kamjong, rise in incidents of crime and threat posed to demography of the region.

FOCS also alleged that the central government has been encouraging entry of illegal immigrants instead of checking unauthorised cross-border infiltrations, and upholding interest of Manipur's indigenous communities, while urging the central government to discard its alleged colonial mind-set towards Manipur.

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