MMTU stresses need to identify illegals
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 06 2026: The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has stated that the Central Government's decision to defer the population census in Manipur without taking any measures to identify illegal immigrants does not address the concerns of the people.

The Union, in a statement issued by its secretary organisation, also said that the inability of the State Assembly to adopt a resolution to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State, with 1951 as the base year, is unfortunate.

Saying that the influx of illegal immigrants has been a longstanding issue in Manipur, the MMTU claimed that the Central Government, however, has not made its position on the issue clear to date.

The MMTU said the movement against illegal immigrants in Manipur began in 1980, and agreements were signed with the Government on different occasions.

Apart from this, the State Assembly had also adopted three resolutions seeking to update the NRC, it said, alleging that the issue, how- ever, remains unaddressed.

Instead of addressing the concerns of the people, those engaged in power politics have been using illegal immigrants as a vote bank, the Union claimed.

The assumption that the issue of illegal immigrants can be discussed after the census is deferred is incorrect, as updating the NRC does not require any new legislation approved by the Parliament, the Union added.

Claiming that updating the NRC in Manipur would not be difficult as the exercise requires only legacy data and certain documents, it maintained that electoral rolls from the 1948 General Election, held before Manipur's merger with India, are also available.

It further said that identifying illegal immigrants in Manipur would not be costly either, as there are already reports of new villages emerging and abnormal population growth in certain areas.

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