INC soft on illegal immigrants: Forum
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 03 2024: While stating that Indian National Congress (INC) has consistently acted against national interest in general and specifically Meeteis and Manipur in particular since Independence, Meetei Resurgence Forum (MeRF) accused the INC of supporting illegal immigrants, which has led to significant unrest and violence in Manipur, largely stemming from the substantial influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar.

In a release, MeRF president T Ramananda contended that the Congress party's persistent backing of these illegal migrants has been glaring and continually disregarding the pressing need to identify and deport foreign nationals in Manipur, a demand that first gained momentum with the agitation led by All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) and All Manipur Students' Coordinating Committee (AMSCOC) in 1980.The current refusal of the INC to support the people of Manipur in their call for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is evident from the public statements made by party's central leaders, notably Rahul Gandhi.

It is widely acknowledged that illegal immigrants have been a significant vote bank for the Congress for an extended period as could be comprehended from public documents released by Meitei Resurgence Forum (MReF) that over 1500 families of Kuki refugees from Myanmar were resettled ill Manipur between 1967 and 1973, with voting rights, he added.

Efforts to address the critical issue of illegal immigration have only materialised following the coming of BJP-led governments at both the central and state levels.

Following the informal 2005 ceasefire and subsequent formalisation in 2008, a tumultuous phase ensued, facilitated by Kuki and Zomi militant groups.

These factions orchestrated the migration of Chin-Kuki people with the explicit intention of settling them in Manipur.

This period was characterised by the establishment of new villages through encroachments on Reserved and Protected Forest lands, as well as community lands designated by the Manipur Durbar Resolution in 1932 .

Additionally, the newcomers laid claim to revered religious sites of the Meeteis and other indigenous communities of Manipur, such as Koubru and Thangjing, as their ancestral lands, consequently igniting ethnic tensions with the Meeteis.

In light of the circumstances, the walkout from the Manipur Legislative Assembly by Congress MLAs, including former CM Okram Ibobi, ex-minister K Ranjit, ex-speaker Th Lokeshwar, Okram Surjakumar, and MPCC president K Meghachandra, during the assembly resolution for updating of the NRC in Manipur is deeply regrettable.

Despite their legitimate concerns about the assembly procedure, they should have prioritised the interests of Manipur by participating in the resolution for updating the NRC, the Forum said.

Updating the NRC is in the interest of all the legitimate residents of Manipur, including the Paites who have coexisted in Manipur since migrating from the Chin hills, and Thadous and Hmars who sought shelter in Manipur after being displaced by the Lushais from the Lushai Hills and Cachar in the mid-19th century.

We appeal to the Indian National Congress to stop working against the interests of the Meeteis and Manipur, it said.

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