24,475 immigrants detected, 14,992 pushed back
Base year will be 1951: Home Minister
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, September 07 2026: Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam has categorically stated that 1951 will be the base year for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with respect to Manipur.

The Home Minister made this statement on the floor of the Manipur Legislative Assembly today in response to a question raised by Opposition MLA K Meghachandra.

However, when K Meghachandra urged the House to reflect the base year of 1951 in the resolution passed by the State Assembly on September 2, 2026, the Home Minister did not give any reply.

When the Opposition Member insisted, the Speaker moved to the next agenda.

Govindas stated that the State Government will pursue the matter (of updating the NRC) with the Government of India in line with the resolutions adopted by the State Legislative Assembly.

He informed the House that the records of the 1951 NRC are being traced.

The State Government alone cannot implement the NRC without the approval of the Government of India.

As per the resolution adopted by the House on August 5, 2022, the Manipur State Population Commission has already been constituted.

When Meghachandra pointed out that the Manipur State Population Commission remains literally defunct, Govindas said that the establishment of the population commission is closely connected with the NRC .

The population commission is not sitting idle.

It organised a two-day seminar at Hotel Imphal some days back, he said.

Even though NRC has been updated in Assam, the updated version could not be put in public domain so far and it is being contested in Court.

In order to avoid such a situation, the Government of Manipur has been conducting a thorough exercise. Moreover, the State Government has written to the Government of India to introduce the National Register of Citizenship, the Home Minister told the House.

Replying to another question raised by Opposition MLA Th Lokeshwar Singh regarding the issue of illegal immigrants in the State, the Home Minister informed the House that a total of 24,475 illegal immigrants were detected in the State including, 6,545 in Kamjong district, 3,560 in Tengnoupal district and 14,370 in Chandel district.

Govindas informed the House that out of the total 24,475 illegal immigrants detected, 14,992 have been pushed back.

After listening to the Home Minister's reply, Lokeshwar asked whether the Government has any policy/programme to deport or push back illegal immigrants from the State.

Replying to the supplementary question, Govindas said that some illegal immigrants have been pushed back while some others are still taking shelter in the State.

He informed the House that the Government had already adopted a plan and that a 12-member committee was constituted on August 7, 2024, under the chairmanship of former Minister Awangbow Newmai, to detect and identify the influx of illegal immigrants and the unnatural growth of new villages.

Govindas said that the Government has also issued an order on the Action Taken Report of the committee.

He added that on February 16, 2023, a Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of former Tribal Affairs Minister Letpao Haokip, with former Ministers Awangbow Newmai and Th Basanta Kumar Singh as members.

The Home Minister also said that the State Home Department had also constituted an official Executive Committee on March 24, 2023, headed by Commissioner S Chourasia, with IGP K Kabib, DCs, SPs, SDOs and SDPOs as members, to carry out verification of illegal immigrants and to assist the Cabinet Sub-Committee.

He said that the verification drive, which had already started, could not be continued due to the unprecedented crisis that broke out on May 3, 2023 .

In Kamjong district, 5,378 out of 6,545 have been pushed back to their country, while the remaining 1,167 have been sheltered in camps opened by the Government in community halls.

In Tengnoupal district, only 14 out of 3,560 have been pushed back, while the remaining 3,546 have been strictly instructed to be looked after by the respective Deputy Commissioner after taking their biometric records, so that they cannot move to other places.

In Chandel district, 9,600 out of 14,370 illegal immigrants have been pushed back to the Myanmar side, and biometric records of 1,308 out of the remaining 4,770 have been taken.

He said that these illegal immigrants are presently kept in temporary shelters.

In Kamjong district, 1,167 immigrants are kept at Namlee, Wanglee, Kaka, Zoro, Iko, Skipe, Huimin Thana and Phaikoh.

In Tengnoupal district, 3,546 immigrants are sheltering in Sadang village areas along the Indo-Myanmar border.

In Chandel district, 4,770 immigrants are kept at Molcham, Gamphajol, Khangtung, L Nampao, Yaingol, Bongjang, Kheljang, New Lajang and nearby villages.

The Home Minister further informed the House that the Government has already instructed the respective Deputy Commissioners to segregate the illegal immigrants from the local Indian communities.

Comment