MMTU lauds Rajay Sabha MP Sanajaoba Leisemba
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 12 2025: Meetei (Meetei) Trade Union (MMTU) has welcomed Rajya Sabha MP Sanajaoba Leisemba's recent statement in the Parliament urging the Centre to identify and deport illegal immigrants before undertaking the census and delimitation in Manipur.

Calling it "the most correct step", MMTU said that it was essential to protect the indigenous population from further marginalisation.

In a press release, MMTU said that political parties, leaders, and the public must unite on this issue, warning that failure to act decisively could result in the extinction of the indigenous population.

It alleged that since Manipur's merger with the Union of India in 1949, no protective measures had been taken for the Meetei community, which continues to face threats to its land, socio-economic security, political identity, and culture in the valley areas.

MMTU reiterated its long-standing demand for the inclusion of Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribes list to safeguard its future.

It also thanked RPI-A national secretary Maheshwar Thounaojam for meeting union ministers and officials to push for the community's ST status.

Echoing MP Sanajaoba's remarks, MMTU said that the 2001 and 2011 census reports were flawed and insisted that immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh should be deported from the state before any census or delimitation takes place.

It maintained that illegal immigrants must not be counted or granted citizenship, and any delimitation exercise based on such a flawed census would be unacceptable.

The Union noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a directive on May 19 to all states and union territories to identify and deport illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

It said neighbouring states such as Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya have already begun the process, while Manipur has yet to take concrete action despite "hundreds of thousands" of illegal settlers, some of whom have allegedly been added to the ST list.

The MMTU statement further said that it is running a campaign titled "Deport Illegal Immigrant before Census and Restore Meetei/Meitei in ST Status" along with Arambai Tenggol village volunteer force and Universal Friendship Organisation.

It urged all civil society groups and political parties to join the movement by setting aside differences.

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