Biren petitions Governor on illegal immigrants, demographic threats
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 27 2025: Former chief minister N Biren met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday and stressed the necessity to extend the 30-day deadline issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for verification of illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh stating that it would take more than 30 days to verify the illegal immigrants in the state.

He brought up the matter during a meeting with the Governor on Tuesday.

Addressing the media at his Luwangsangbam residence after returning from Raj Bhavan, Biren disclosed of informing the Governor that the crisis (Kuki-Meetei) broke out after the government initiated identification drive against illegal immigrants, which has left tens of thousands displaced.

Biren petitions Governor on illegal immigrants, demographic threats

Expressing shock over the recent Gwaltabi incident where the name of the state was forced to conceal from a Manipur State Transport bus, Biren said the issue figured during his discussion with the Governor, urging the latter to expedite process resolving the crisis, ensure free movement on the national highways, early rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced people, and to take up stringent measures to disarm the elements both in the valley and the hills.

He also urged the Governor to resolve the issue surrounding the Gwaltabi incident while stating that allowing the issue to protract further could result in more unrest.

He also told media persons about submitting a representation to the Governor appealing for continuation and intensification of steps taken by the BJP-led state government to detect, identify and deport illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

He said that his representation urged the Governor to act in the context of Manipur's unique historical, demographic and administrative landscape while elaborating on historical context citing the Cheitharol Kumbaba, the royal chronicle, the 1886 Gazetteer of Manipur, the Anglo-Manipuri Treaty of 1762, and the independent administrative nature of the Manipur kingdom as described by Major General Sir lames Johnstone, the then political agent of the British Government in Manipur that stated that all land in the kingdom belonged to the Maharaja.

He also cited historical population data from Census records to highlight demographic changes in the state stating that, while Meetei/ Meitei and Naga groups saw a population increase of 857 per cent and 909 per cent respectively from 1881 to 2011, the New Kuki and Mizo groups recorded a steep rise of 2505 per cent indicating large-scale immigration from Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The representation further recalled the 1949 Merger Agreement and the 1950 White Paper issued by the Ministry of States, Government of India, which recorded Manipur's area as 8,620 square miles and population as 5.12 lakhs.

It also mentioned that the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, once prevalent to protect the indigenous culture, was abolished in 1950 by then chief commissioner Himmat Singh, but was restored in 2019 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to safeguard Manipur's indigenous population.

He also drew attention to a 1973 letter from the then Lok Sabha MP for Outer Manipur that revealed the entry of more than 1,500 families from Burma who were allowed to remain in the state on humanitarian grounds due to the absence of a national policy.

The political turmoil in Myanmar, notably the 1962 coup, 1988 pro-democracy uprising and the 2021 military coup, has continued to cause mass illegal migration into Manipur through the 398-kilometre-long porous border.

The similarity in ethnicity between the Chin-Kuki people of Myanmar and some settled communities in Manipur has further blurred the lines of identity and legality.

The representation pointed out that the Congress-led governments, during 2006-2008, had made a major policy blunder by signing Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreements with Myanmar-based armed groups, including the ZRA led by Thanglianpau Guite, a former MP of Myanmar.

This allowed further entrenchment of foreign elements.

Biren highlighted the proactive steps taken by the BJP-led state government led by him, which included verification drives, biometric and biographic data collection, and community awareness campaigns.

A cabinet sub-committee comprising ministers Letpao Haokip, Awangbow Newmai and Th Basanta Kumar Singh was constituted in February 2023 to regulate illegal immigrants, especially in Churachandpur district.

Specific areas like Singhat and Holenphai were covered under special drives that uncovered concealed settlements.

Illegal immigrants were provided temporary ID cards, food and shelter, but their interaction with the local population was restricted.

These efforts were supported by BSF, Assam Rifles and other enforcement agencies.

The biometric campaign, initiated in May 2023, was aimed at enhancing identification, prevent infiltration and combat document forgery.

Biren raised concerns about administrative manipulation of the ManipUr Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972.Misinterpretation of the term "appointment of succession of Chief or Headman" as "appointment or succession" has allegedly facilitated unauthorised village formations in reserved and protected forests.

Based on satellite imagery and data from the Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC), the representation stated that Churachandpur saw a 187.46 per cent increase in villages from 343 in 1972 to 986 in 2022, and Kangpokpi saw a 326.34 per cent increase from 186 to 793 in the same period.

It urged immediate action against such illegal expansions.

Poppy cultivation, covering 40,000 to 1.5 lakh hectares, was also attributed to the presence of illegal immigrants and armed groups from Myanmar.

The BJP-led government launched campaigns like "War on Drugs", which led to the destruction of over 17,800 acres of poppy fields between 2017 and 2023.These actions caused a financial loss of over Rs 12,480 crore to illegal cultivators, the former CM stated.

He further mentioned that drug seizures worth Rs 9,300 crore during the BJP-led government's term disrupted the operations of narco-terrorist groups, which the representation claims is a major reason behind the ongoing violence in the state.

Manipur stands at the forefront of India'sbattle against illegal immigration, drug trafficking and arms proliferation.

This is not just an administrative issue but an existential threat to the state's identity, stability and future, meriting urgent national attention and action, the former CM said and appealed to the Governor to strengthen the current campaign and uphold national security, demographic balance and territorial integrity.