Weed out illegals : 14 CSOs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 01 2026: The 14 CSOs, Kangleipak has urged the Central and State Governments to identify illegal immigrants who have settled in the State with 1951 as the base year.

In a statement, the 14 CSOs claimed that there is a significant gap between the aspirations of the people of Manipur and the political dynamics surrounding how the issue of illegal immigration has been presented to Central bureaucrats and leaders responsible for taking decisions on it.

In this regard, the group stated that it had submitted representations to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Registrar General of India (RGI), seeking the identification of Indian Nationals before any delimitation exercise is undertaken in Manipur.

Saying that updating the NRC is a common demand, the group urged the Government of India to work with the people of Manipur to safeguard the State's political integrity and protect the interests of the bonafide citizens.

It said that the Manipur Constitution Act, enacted before the State's merger with the Indian Union, listed the number of villages through an official gazette and the data was subsequently used for the first democratic election, in which 53 members were elected to represent all communities in Manipur.

The group also said that the erstwhile Manipur Kingdom had its own entry and exit pass system for foreigners.

However, this permit system was abolished on November 18, 1950, by the then Chief Commissioner, Himmat Singh, it added.

It further said that the first Census and NRC exercise in Manipur was conducted in 1951, following the abolition of the entry and exit permit system.

The district-wise comparison of the number of villages between the 1961 and 2011 census data shows that the number of villages increased in Chandel from 244 to 430, Churachandpur from 290 to 599 and Tamenglong from 163 to 175, it said.

In contrast, the number declined in Ukhrul from 223 to 213, Bishnupur from 61 to 48, Thoubal from 113 to 87, Imphal West from 142 to 115 and Imphal East from 262 to 203, it alleged.

The group also highlighted Manipur's porous international border with Myanmar, stating that the entry and exit permit system, which served as a safeguard for detecting foreigners, was abolished in 1950 .

It alleged that several individuals subsequently migrated to Manipur, settled in the State and have since been enjoying various political and Constitutional rights.

The 14 CSOs urged the Central and State Governments to defer the census exercise and facilitate the update of the NRC before any delimitation exercise is carried out in Manipur.

In this regard, the group further urged the Centre and the Government of Manipur to facilitate tripartite talks involving all stakeholders to discuss the implementation and process of updating the NRC before any delimitation exercise is undertaken in Manipur.

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