Call for delimitation, NRC : Check illegal immigrants
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 24, 2025 -

The census of 2001 and 2011, the call for delimitation, the demand that the National Register of Citizens be implemented in Manipur and simultaneously weed out all bogus citizens, the demand that the Meiteis be included in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India all seem to be inextricably linked in one way or the other and an open mind is the call of the hour.

The factors noted here also underline the deep sense of disconnect and how a small State like Manipur has been bifurcated so thoroughly, so much so that even political parties which are pan India organisations have come to be seen and understood as Imphal or valley based political parties.

A number of learned people from the hill districts have come under the impression that the State Assembly is dominated by the Meiteis with 40 members while the hills have been dwarfed by sheer numerical strength on the floor of House.

This is precisely the reason why The Sangai Express had acknowledged the far sightedness of the man or organisation who or which presumably had a hand in dishing out the inflated population in 2001.

The figures should tell the story on the ‘inflated’ population theory and not without reason.

At the same time, all seem to have conveniently overlooked the fact that while any Indian can contest in the 40 Assembly Constituencies, dubbed the valley Constituencies, the 20 seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, meaning not even Prime Minister Narendra Modi or AICC leader Rahul Gandhi would be allowed to contest in the 20 Assembly seats.

The same story runs through the two Parliamentary seats.

This is a point that should not be forgotten when any finger of ‘political dominance’ is pointed at the Meitei community and lest one forgets, Manipur has had two Nagas as Chief Ministers and a Muslim as well.

One wonders if anyone other than a Naga or a Mizo ever became the Chief Minister of Nagaland or Mizoram.

The moot point is then if the 40 seats in the valley are cut to say 37, then the Meiteis will have the right to contest in only 37 seats while the Nagas and the Kukis would be free to stand for election anywhere in Manipur.

Just to cite a point, back in 1980 the late Professor Gangmumei Kamei contested from Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency as a front running candidate.

Many may interpret this as too simplistic or naive an argument, but one should not forget that one also needs to look at the reservation of Assembly seats.

It is the same thing when it comes to the question of the Meiteis raising the demand that they be included in the ST list of the Constitution.

The important point at the moment is how to weed out the bogus or illegal immigrants from the head count and this is where the call to enforce the National Register of Citizens becomes important.

This is where one of the two indigenous people, the Nagas of Manipur, need to come to the realisation that the first casualty of the gradual illegal immigration from across the border has been them and then gradually Manipur.

In the political sphere it has been a case of the number of Naga MLAs gradually decreasing down the years to now stand at par with the Kuki-Zo-Chin MLAs at ten each.

How did this happen ? The answer should be clear to anyone, more so the Nagas who have been the first to lose out.

A point which the Nagas should not forget.

It is with a reason why a young Naga researcher Diranamai Liangchi conducted a minute study and came out with a well researched article on the gradual but significant increase in the number of Kuki-Chin MLAs at the cost of the Nagas, not once but twice in The Ukhrul Times, some time back.

The Sangai Express had also carried the said two articles with due courtesy.

The moot point is, any delimitation carried out on the basis of false head count will deal further blows on the indigenous people and this is a point which should not be lost on anyone.

A look at the mushrooming new settlements, especially on either side of National Highway-2 should leave no one in doubt on the steep and unnatural increase of new settlements.

The immediate losers will obviously be the Nagas.