The demand for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) and shelter homes for people of Myanmar has re-established the fear of Meitei community of being outnumbered. Meitei are also agitating seeking Scheduled Tribe status.
The eviction drive of the state government in the reserve forest has miffed the people in the hills who see it as the state government’s attempt to drive out the tribal people from their lands.
Recently, people demanding NRC in Imphal clashed with police. On March 5, six student organisations, supported by hundreds of women vendors of the “Ima Market” (all women market) and members of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) took out a rally to the chief minister’s official bungalow.
According to the agitators, the influx of outsiders from both inside and outside the country, including people from Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh, significantly affected the identity, culture, economy, administration, and environment of Manipur.
The Manipur government recently said it will start house to house surveys in the state.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the state government has already constituted the Manipur State Population Commission (MSPC) and it would identify the immigrants in the state based on the cut off year of 1961.
Singh said his government is ready to introduce the National Register of Citizens or NRC, but for that he needed the approval from the Central government.
Singh said the NRC cannot be introduced alone by the state government, responding to an agitation in the state seeking introduction of NRC.
“Myanmarese sought asylum in Manipur is a different issue. At any cost we would protect the demography and the tradition, culture of the indigenous people of the state,” Singh told the media.
The central government had on December 11, 2019, introduced the (Inner Line Permit) system. The ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, is an official travel document that allows an Indian citizen to visit the states where ILP is enforced for a limited period and with a specific purpose.
Already the Manipur government has decided to identify Myanmarese refugees and keep them at the designated detention centres.
So far, around 5,000 immigrants have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar after the military took power in the neighbouring country in February 2021.
Following the recent crossover of Myanmar’s refugees after the armed conflict between the Myanmar Army and the People’s Defence Force (PDF), the Manipur government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip.
Five districts in Manipur share an unfenced and porous border with Myanmar. The Manipur government is advocating that the free movement regime with Myanmar needs to be reviewed.
Around 31,000 Myanmar nationals have been sheltered in Mizoram after the military seized power in the country through a military coup in February 2021.
Last week there were incidents of violence, including arson and vandalism of government properties. The state government launched a charge against illegal poppy cultivation by destroying poppy fields in the forest land, especially in the reserve and protected forests in the hilly areas.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum has called a bandh in the district on Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and normal life was paralysed owing to the bandh.
The organisation alleged that despite several memorandums on the ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, the government has not taken any note.
Singh said that Myanmar immigrants are responsible for deforestation, poppy cultivation, and drug menace in the state.
The hills account for 90% of the state’s area and 10% population while the valley occupies 10% land. Out of the 60 seats, the valley accounts for 40 assembly seats.
In the valley there are Hindus and non-tribal Meitei communities, while the hills are inhabited largely by the Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities.
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