COCOMI, UNC send reminder to PM on NRC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 02 2024: The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and the United Naga Council (UNC) have submitted a joint memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through Governor Anusuiya Uikey today.

The joint memorandum reminded the Prime Minister to expedite implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur with 1951 as base year to curb influx of illegal immigrants and its impact of demographic imbalance that poses serious uncertainties and political insecurities to the native population of the State.

"We, the CSOs, of the native people of Manipur State, have held multiple discussion sessions to formulate an effective approach to address this issue for the collective good of the people of the State", it said.

COCOMI, UNC send reminder to PM on NRC

Saying that they have adopted and prioritized a number of important resolutions, COCOMI and UNC asserted that NRC should be implemented at the earliest so that scientific method of identification may be applied to detect illegal immigrants and ensure that no further infiltration occurs in the State of Manipur henceforth.

Random village recognition without verification must be stopped immediately.

A cut off/base year should be kept in place for verification and implementation of a process to derecognise illegal and fake villages, said the joint memorandum.

Over the last several decades, Manipur has been witnessing a consistent rise in the number of non-native people from outside the State and it has been escalating rapidly in the past few years.

Consequently, the demographic imbalance has played a critical role in triggering a series of socio-political unrest in the State, it said.

Most of the influx of illegal immigrants are coming from the neighbouring countries specially Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and also elsewhere.

The native people of Manipur can no longer afford to remain silent as this issue has adversely impacted their security and well being.

It has not only affected the native demography and social order significantly but has adversely affected land, natural resources and social harmony, it said.

These illegal immigrants not only entered the State but some are also claiming and demanding an exclusive separate territory/homeland within the State, COCOMI and UNC wrote to the Prime Minister.

Over the last few decades, numerous unrecognised villages have proliferated in specific hill districts of Manipur.

To all these dangerous precedents, the State Government remains a silent spectator and it has failed to control this unreasonable rapid increase of unrecognised villages in the State, they said.

The abnormal increase of villages in specific districts should be examined and corrective measures must be taken up, COCOMI and UNC demanded.

They said that while the number of villages in the districts predominantly inhabited by the Meiteis and the Nagas remain more or less constant relatively, certain other districts have witnessed abnormal increase of villages over the years.

According to the joint memorandum, the number of villages in Chandel district was 164 in 1950-1969 and it rose to 269 in 2011 and there are 205 unrecognised villages in the district.

Tengoupal district had just 68 villages in 1950-1969 but it jumped to 168 in 2011.In addition there are 130 unrecognised villages.

There were 179 villages in Kangpokpi district in 1950-69 and it multiplied to 570 in 2011.The district also has 304 unrecognised villages.

Churachandpur district had 282 villages in 1950-69 and it jumped to 547 in 2011.In addition, Churachandpur district has 281 unrecognised villages.

Pherzawl district had just 38 villages in 1950-69.It rose to 70 in 2011.In addition, there are 14 unrecognised villages.

These figures need to be examined as a warning, and the Central and State Governments must immediately take up necessary actions to resolve the present demographic invasion, COCOMI and UNC said in their joint memorandum.

A joint team of COCOMI and UNC led by COCOMI coordinator Thokchom Somorendro and UNC general secretary Vareiyo Shatshang handed over the memorandum to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan.

Governor Anusuiya Uikey assured the team that necessary steps would be taken up to implement NRC in the State and it is just a matter of time.

The Governor said that the matter has been discussed with the President of India, the Finance Minister and the Union Home Minister.

The Centre is aware of the situation in the Sate.

The Governor also assured the delegation that all necessary action will be taken up in the best interest of the people of Manipur, conveyed a press release issued by the Governor's Secretariat.