Stop proliferation of arms, identify illegal immigrants
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 29, 2023 -

IN the midst of the prevailing unstable situation in the state, there is remote possibility of the government authorities complying with the directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to collect biographic and biometric details of illegal immigrants.

Nevertheless, the ministry’s missive to the chief secretaries of Manipur and Mizoram seeking information about outlanders in these two states assumes significance as there is strong suspicion about involvement of Chin-Kuki elements from the neighbouring Myanmar in the ethnic violence here in the state.

The suspicion is not without substance if one takes into account reports in the India Today weekly news magazine citing intelligence sources that arms used to spread unrest in violence-hit Manipur were smuggled via Myanmar as well as a similar report about seizure of arms, ammunition, explosives and other war-like stores from a Manipur-bound vehicle by a combined team of Nagaland police and Assam Rifles on Tuesday.

According to the India Today, a significant consignment of weapons was received in Manipur via the Myanmar route this June, which witnessed fierce clashes between the two communities in conflict in the peripheral area.

With only 10 per cent of the Indo-Myanmar boundary said to have been fenced so far in-spite of the fencing project initiated years back, it’s obvious that anti-social elements would take advantage of porous nature of the border to smuggle in arms and drugs into the state to fuel the insurgency movement or merely for earning profit.

The report also validates apprehension in cross section of the society about infiltration of both arms and men from Myanmar as the conflict continues in Manipur.

While it is relief of sort that a red alert has been sounded along the border to prevent violence in Manipur and the open border with India and Myanmar is being constantly monitored, the revelation about a large cache of weapons procured by active insurgent groups in Manipur in three vehicles implies that the violence wouldn’t be ceasing anytime soon and that security forces deployed in the border areas shall have to deal with the matter in the most effective and diligent manner without which all efforts by the central and state governments to restore normalcy will bear no fruit.

While security forces have been prioritising recovery of arms and ammunition looted from the police and other state forces in the initial days of the ethnic violence, intelligence agencies suspecting that militant outfits are transporting weapons through the open Indo-Myanmar border to send weapons to Manipur merits attention of the security authorities to keep a close watch on the border areas as well.

Moreover, if the situation permits, the government of Manipur should do the needful to uphold the written directive by MHA (Foreign Division) under-secretary Pratap Singh Rawatto the chief secretaries on May 19 for collecting the biographic and biometric details of aliens who had entered the two states illegally, in accordance with the decision taken during a meeting chaired by the union home secretary on April 28.

There might be obstacles in implementing the MHA’s instruction but all efforts should be made for timely detection of the foreign nationals when the central government is ready to extend manpower and logistic support to shield the state from adverse elements.