Root out illegal immigrants call : How do they sneak in?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 18, 2022 -

The important and crucial question is, how do they come in ?

An answer to this should not be clouded by political niceties especially in the backdrop of the fact that it was none other than Chief Minister N Biren who reportedly said, ‘the issue of illegal influx of non-locals is at an alarming stage today and the same is a threat to our society.’

Does not need rocket science technology to deduce that the illegal immigrants here would have to be from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

People whose physical appearance makes it very easy for them to merge with the local population and in the process get hold of an Aadhaar card and other needed documents !

Geography also says that illegal immigrants will have to be from the said two countries for no one from say Europe, or closer home even from Thailand and South Korea would sneak into the territory of Manipur.

Fleeing persecution, especially in the wake of the military taking power in Myanmar, entering Manipur as it provides better avenues to earn a living, especially from Bangladesh via the other North Eastern States and the entry point at Jiribam and it is against this reality that the statement of the Chief Minister should be viewed and understood.

It was not the rambling of a politician, but a reflection of the grim reality and if the Government is really serious about the entry of illegal immigrants, then it should crack the whip against those providing shelter to people who have sneaked into the State.

The Government did talk about the emergence of new settlements or new villages some time back, and this can be taken as an indicator of how illegal immigrants can enter the State and after some time establish a village !

So easy it seems and the very fact that the Chief Minister himself has admitted that influx of illegal immigrants is a reality should tell the story of how past Governments have always sidelined the issue preferring to sleep over it.

Making things more disturbing for the people is the fact that once these illegal immigrants merge with the local population, there is no mechanism to stop them from buying landed properties in the valley area of Manipur.

The valley area is not Constitutionally protected.

One hopes the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee has taken note of this grim reality and who knows, even today there might be illegal immigrants who have comfortably merged with the local population and have settled in some areas of Imphal.

The Inner Line Permit is one such mechanism to monitor the entry of non-local people but here it is important to take note of the fact that influx of illegal immigrants would not have been possible without the active co-operation of some section of the people here.

This is where the Government would need to act tough and demonstrate it means business.

Manipur, especially the valley area which has no Constitutional protection, cannot be reduced to the status of a place which is a free for all.

And this is where the call of the STDCM, World Meetei Council and others to send the recommendations to the Centre to include the Meeteis/Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India gains credence.

Check influx of illegal immigrant and at the same time take cognizance of the fact that it is the valley, the ancestral land of the Meeteis/Meiteis which is under severe threat, a point which has been highlighted by STDCM and WMC on more than one occasion.

Land is crucial to the call to identify and root out illegal immigrants and here it is the area or land which have no Constitutional protection which is at risk.

This is a point which the Chief Minister must acknowledge. https://www.thesangaiexpress.com//Encyc/2022/10/17/The-important-and-crucial-question-is-how-do-they-come-in-An-answer-to-this-should-not-be-clouded.html