Imphal, July 1: In a move to address the growing concerns over illegal immigration, representatives from the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through Governor Anusuya Uikey on Wednesday. The memorandum, presented on Monday, calls for the immediate implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur.
The delegation comprised three members from the UNC and eight from COCOMI.
Following the meeting at Raj Bhavan, COCOMI Coordinator Somorendra Thokchom addressed the media, voicing deep concerns about the unchecked influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Thokchom highlighted the demographic threats posed by these settlements, noting instances where government recognition had been mistakenly extended to such settlements. He stressed the urgent need for the NRC to accurately identify and manage the demographic changes.
“Illegal settlements have been proliferating, jeopardizing the demographic integrity of Manipur,” Thokchom stated. “Implementing the NRC is crucial to identifying and addressing these issues effectively.”
Governor Anusuya Uikey, according to Thokchom, assured the delegation of her commitment to forwarding their memorandum to the Prime Minister. She also pledged to advocate for the matter with central ministers and leaders to seek a resolution to the state’s ongoing crisis.
Vareiyo Shatsang, General Secretary of the United Naga Council (UNC), clarified that while the UNC and COCOMI do not share a unified agenda, they are committed to collaborating on common issues. Shatsang noted that Governor Uikey, during the current Parliament session, has promised to take the necessary actions to address the crisis in Manipur.
“The Governor has assured us that she will bring this matter to the attention of the Prime Minister and other central leaders,” Shatsang said. “We hope for a swift and effective resolution to the concerns we have raised.”
The memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “We have adopted and prioritized the following important resolutions:
- The National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented at the earliest so that a scientific method of identification may be applied to detect illegal immigrants and ensure that no further infiltration occurs in our state henceforth.
- Random village recognition without verification must be stopped immediately. A cutoff/base year should be put in place for verification and implementation of a process to de-recognize illegal and fake villages.
- The abnormal increase of villages in specific districts should be examined and corrective measures must be taken up. While the number of villages in the districts predominantly inhabited by the Meeteis and the Nagas remains more or less constant relatively, the chart below illustrates the abnormal increase of villages in certain other districts over the years.
“Representatives from COCOMI & UNC, led by Thokchom Somorendro and NG. Lorho, called on me at Raj Bhavan, Imphal. They submitted a memorandum urging the expedited implementation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year to curb illegal immigration and address demographic imbalances,” wrote Governor Anusuya Uikey on X.
She also wrote on X, “They stressed on scientific identification of illegal immigrants, stopping unverified village recognition. Assured them that necessary steps would be taken & that the matter has been discussed with top officials, including the President & the Union Home Minister.”
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