Ukhrul, Feb 15: Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh has raised concerns about the problem of ‘neglected’ illegal migration across the Indo-Myanmar border, stating that he is now facing the repercussions of his efforts to address this issue.
In a post on X, N Biren Singh highlighted the issue citing the detention of 28 Myanmar illegals with fake Aadhar cards in the past. He also posted the collection of the fake Aadhar cards stating they were just a reflection of a deeper ongoing problem.
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The former CM stated that, unlike the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, the Indo-Myanmar border was never taken seriously by policymakers from previous governments.
“Had there been stricter measures earlier, the demographic changes we see today and the resulting crisis could have been prevented,” he stated. He also questioned why the issue had been overlooked for decades and who would take responsibility for the consequences India now faces.
When questioned by a user about his actions while serving as Chief Minister (CM), he responded, “All were detected during my tenure.” He also mentioned that he had seriously started detection and deportation, and is now facing the consequences of those actions.
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Notably, N. Biren Singh, during his tenure as Chief Minister, informed the sixth session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly that approximately 10675 illegal immigrants were detected in the state over the past five years. These immigrants originated from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Norway, China, and Nepal. Out of a total of 10,675 illegal immigrants, he stated that 85 had been deported in that time frame.
According to the report, the Kamjong and Tengnoupal districts had the highest concentrations of immigrants, with 6,199 and 2,406 immigrants, respectively. It also highlighted that the committee had identified 2,480 illegal immigrants from Myanmar before the outbreak of violence in Manipur. Recently, a group of 26 Myanmarese nationals who entered India through Manipur’s porous border were deported on January 5, 2025.
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Furthermore, the Manipur Police reported the arrest of 81 Myanmarese nationals, including 10 minors, on January 26, 2023. It was also noted that 52 Myanmar nationals, including 18 juveniles and minors, were being held in a temporary jail in Churachandpur district. Additionally, the police detained 32 Myanmar nationals in Moreh in November 2023 following the killing of SDPO Chingtham Anandakumar.