Imphal: The indigenous People’s Forum Manipur (IPFM) accused the Biren Singh-led government of “sitting” for nearly six months over the large-scale influx of illegal immigrants in the Kamjong district of the state from the neighbouring country.
“We submitted a detailed report on the large-scale influx of illegal immigrants or refugees from Myanmar in Kamjong district to the state government in early December last year. We even have the “receipt” of submitting the report. But the state government was still waking up after nearly six months,” Ashang Kasar, Convenor of IPFM said here on Thursday.
The official argued that the Biren Singh government had been ignoring their memorandum and he was talking only as if it had happened in just two or three days, which is very shocking.
Kasar further pointed out that if the state government was serious about the issue and acted accordingly, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. But the number of those illegal immigrants was increasing in many folds. It could be more than ten thousand by now, he added.
Questioning what steps the state government has taken so far, IPFM also demanded the Chief Minister convenes an emergency meeting of all stakeholders and CSOs to seek a resolution of the ongoing crisis.
Kasar said due to the ongoing crisis which has completed one year, all the communities in the state have been affected. It has severely disrupted agricultural activities, causing significant financial losses and inconveniences to the citizens of Manipur.
Last week, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, speaking to media persons, said that due to the current civil war in our eastern neighbour, at least 5801 illegal immigrants from Myanmar have entered Manipur and are currently taking shelter in eight villages in the district of Kamjong. Of these, 15 have expired due to natural causes and 359 have returned to Myanmar.
The Chief Minister also announced that all the immigrants entering into Indian territory will be deported to their original countries with due process of law, arguing that protecting the indigenous people is paramount to his government.
