COCOMI, UNC demand population panel, NRC
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 24 2023:
Expressing grave concern over continuous influx of outsiders and threat posed to the demography, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and United Naga Council (UNC) demanded the government to set up State Population Commission and initiate relevant process for conduct of National Register of Citizens (NRC) .
In a statement jointly issued by COCOMI coordinator Jeetendra Ningomba and UNC information and publicity secretary Heutwalung James Hau, the two organisations highlighted the various issues that have impacted the state at present including loss of forest covers, massive deforestation, smuggling of drugs from across the border and unidentified and accounted influx of outsiders from all directions and expressed that all these issues are enough evidence that the state should pull up its socks and take some real action before it 's too late.
UNC and COCOMI have been pursuing the state and the central governments for taking up action regarding the matter and had submitted several memoranda demanding initiation of NRC exercise, constitution of Population Commission which the present state cabinet had already approved and to not recognise any new villages without proper verification and scrutiny at the government level, the joint statement said.
It further conveyed that it would be wise to take note of the private member motion moved by MLA Th Joykisan during monsoon session of Assembly on August 5, 2022 and unanimous resolution adopted by the House on the matter of NRC and Population Commission.
Despite these given facts, there has not been any visible action from the state government that would show its seriousness and concern over such serious issues, it contended, while adding that the task of rectifying the problem is magnifying with each passing day.
It is high time for the state government to initiate some immediate action to save the future of the land and its people from all forms of impact arising out of the demographic imbalance and ever continuing pressure from illegal immigrants and migrants.
The two civil societies further urged the government to act right away as the future of Manipur is likely to be doomed very soon.
If the government fails to act as an urgent matter then there would be no other option than to come forward and take its own course to save the future of the land and its people by all possible means, the statement added.