'Jiribam swamped by illegal migrants'
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 03, 2011: Illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Bengalis from other parts of the country have become the majority in Jiribam while the indigenous people have been reduced to a minority due to the non implementation of Foreigners (Protected Area) Act 1958 and Inner Line Permit in the state and a state government which has been unable to identify illegal migrants for deportation.

This was disclosed during a field visit of Federation of Regional Indigenous Societies (FREINDS) in which media persons also took part.

The visit was from January 31 to February 2. Illegal migrants from Bangladesh, Bengalis from other parts of the country are dominating the area at a fast pace.

The media team visited Durgapur, Borobekra, Shotobekra, Jagarador, Maimatai, Islamabad, Butangkhal, Latingkhal, Ahmedabad and Kashimpur.

Surprisingly all the villages were inhabited by Bangladesh Muslims, Bengalis and Bishnupriyas.

Not a single Meetei or any other indigenous people were found in the said villages.

Lands owned by Meetei in Laimatai,Latingkhal and Borobekra have not been taken over by the illegal migrants.

Unfortunately, AR troops on the way to the villages along the Jiribam Tipaimukh road detained the media persons even after they knew their identities and resorted to many insensible queries.

A villager of Jakurador, a nearby village told that the Meetei who used to live in the villages often quarreled with the illegal migrants from Bangladesh in connection with land issues.

As the number of Bangladeshis increased, the migrants even snatched away many lands belonging to the Meeteis.

They even drove out officials of the state government who came to conduct survey work to resolve the matter.

AR posted there takes the side of the foreigners.

The reason of the rapid increased of foreigners is due to the policy of the state government which refuses to check the traffic of migrants.

Illegal migrants who have usurped land and settled in Jiribam

They often come on pretext of visiting their relatives and then continue to live there.

Political leaders include them in the voter list to help them in the election.

They even help them in inhabiting them there and do nothing to stop further flow of illegal migrants.

Sitting MLA of Jiribam, Minister Devendra is one of them, the villager said.

Indigenous people like Meetei, Kuki, Paite, Kabui and Hmar are living at only some villages like Dibong, Sorok Atingbi, Patchao, Uchathol, Golathol, Kalinagar, Babupara, Phaitol etc.

Besides these villages, all other villages of the sub division which has more than 40 villages are now being inhabited by illegal migrants, Bengalis and Bishnupriyas.

Many new Bangladeshi migrants were encountered throughout the stretch of JT road, they knew nothing of Meeteilol.

The Foreigners Police Check Post near the Barak Bridge of Jiribam which neighbours Assam is also not doing its duty sincerely.

The police personnel posted at the check post check only goods being transported from Assam, but they do not check the identity of any person who enter through the check post.

However an official of the check post claimed they do check for foreigners.

He recalled of an Italian who did not have proper documents and who was subsequently deported.

He said that there is not a single case of foreigners entering Jiribam.

When asked about the large number of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, he said that they find it difficult to identify the migrants since they look similar to the local people residing in Jiribam.

Taking serious note of the situation, FREINDS president, Sapamcha Jadumani said that the foreigners will soon dominate the entire state of Manipur leaving the indigenous people to be a minority.

This will be the result of the non implementation of Foreigners Act and Inner Line Permit System.

Jiribam has around 28,000 voters in total out of which, around 19,000 are Bangladeshis, Bengalis, Bishnupriyas and Khasis.

The remaining 9,000 voters are the indigenous people who have became a minority in their own land.

Migrants constituted around 60 percent of the total population of the sub division while indigenous tribals constituted 30 percent and Meetei only 5 percent.

The situation has spread from Jiribam to Kanglatongbi, Sugnu and CCpur also.

There are more than 3 lakh Nepalese in Kanglatongbi at present.

Many Myanmar nationals are residing in CCpur.

The situation has become grave for the indigenous people in the state.

Jiribam has become a second Bangladesh.

In such a situation, the state government should take up action to identify the migrants and send them back to their countries.

The government should also implement the ILP system in the state to check migrants from other states of the country.

Governments of Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh are adopting the ILP in their states to save the indigenous people.

According to the publication of UCM 'Influx of Migrants into Manipur' the total number of migrants in the state is 7,04,488 while number of indigenous tribes is 6,70,782 and indigenous Meetei 9,18,626.Such large numbers of migrants were not in the state before Manipur was merged into the Indian Union.

When the Inner Line Permit system was implemented, even Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore were restricted from entering in the state.

The situation took a grim turn when the ILP system was removed from the state on November 1, 1950.Since then, the number of migrants has increased at a rapid rate.

According to IMC records, non Manipuris consisted about 19 percent of hawkers in Imphal city occupied in different jobs like barbers, juice sellers, cobblers, carpenters, milkmen, rikshaw pullers, fruit vendors, or in laundries and bakeries.

There will come a time, when the indigenous people of the state will be faced with the same fate of the indigenous Tripuris who now constitute only 15 percent of the total population of Tripura.

FREINDS organised the field visit to collect supporting evidence of the PIL moved by the federation to the Gauhati High Court.

It may be mentioned that Ministry of Home Affairs had given a response to the PIL in 2008, that there was no case of illegal migrations in the state except for cases of some Myanmarese nationals who were consequently arrested.

The visit was conducted to produce as evidence in the hearing which is to be held on February 17.