UKHRUL: A public meeting on the ongoing crisis in Manipur and the need to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the forthcoming Census was held at Pallel Market in Kakching district on Thursday.
The meeting was jointly organised by the Native Peoples’ Committee, Manipur (NPCM), United Committee for Protection (UCP), Meira Paibi and NPLKTLP. Organisers said that more than 400 people from the Meitei and Naga indigenous communities attended the gathering.
Addressing the meeting were NPCM co-convenor Dr. L. Phaomei, NPCM executive committee member Trimson Saka, UCP convenor M. Jiban, Meira Paibi representative M. Romita Devi, YVA Club chairman Romen Meitei, SDO Club secretary S. Rabi and UCP co-convenor M. Ojit Singh.
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The speakers stressed the need to update the NRC in Manipur before the Census, stating that the exercise was essential to safeguard the rights, identity, land and future of the state’s indigenous communities. They also called for greater unity and cooperation among the indigenous peoples of Manipur in pursuit of justice, peace and the protection of their ancestral land and constitutional rights.
The speakers expressed concern over what they described as the impact of illegal immigration, demographic changes and disputes involving indigenous and non-indigenous populations, which they said had contributed to the prolonged crisis in the state. They urged the authorities to address these issues through appropriate legal and constitutional mechanisms.
The meeting also expressed dissatisfaction with what participants described as the Central Government’s inadequate response to the ongoing crisis in Manipur. According to the organisers, the gathering felt that the concerns and grievances of the Meitei and Naga indigenous communities had not received sufficient attention.
The speakers maintained that the indigenous peoples’ movement was aimed at protecting their ancestral land, identity, constitutional rights and the interests of future generations, and was not directed against any particular community. They also raised concerns over alleged attempts by illegal immigrants to occupy indigenous lands, claiming such activities were being aided by external forces. The participants called for appropriate legal action to address the issue.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the gathering resolved to strengthen unity and cooperation among the indigenous communities of Manipur and to continue working collectively for the protection of their land, identity, constitutional rights and future generations.
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