TMB Report
Imphal: State Capital Imphal turned into a virtual battlefield on Tuesday following clashes between the protestors and the police after hundreds of women vendors from Khwairamband keithel and students took out a protest rally demanding implementation of National Refgister of Citizens to detect and deport
the illegal immigrants.
The protest rally was spearheaded by as many as six influential students’ bodies (DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK,AIMS). The protestors gathered at Ima keithel and held a meeting there. After the meeting, they took out a rally in a bid to storm the Chief Minister secretariat. However, a huge contingent of state police personnel deployed in the city prevented the agitators at traffic point of western Kangla Gate from moving towards CM bungalow, leading to a scuffle between the police and the protestors. After hours of clashes, arguments and chaos, the protestors were forced back to the starting point of the rally.
The protestors held placards reading “Implement NRC in Manipur”, “Protect indigenous rights and future, save indigenous population, establish state population commission, identify illegal immigrants. Protect
our land from illegal immigrants, Foreigners cannot be land owner”. The protesters also chanted various slogans.
Talking to media persons on the sideline of the mass protest, Coordinator of Six students’ bodies, Salam Open said that unless the illegal immigrants are not detected and deported at the earliest, the land of the indigenous people will be completely occupied by the illegal immigrants after some decades.
The government has failed to take serious note of the illegal immigrants flooding the state thereby affecting the future and destiny of the indigenous populace.
Lackadaisical attitude on the part of the Authority has paved way for the illegal immigrants to occupy the precious land and assets of the indigenous people, thus affecting the socio- economy of the land. Illegal immigrants will capture Administration and land unless the NRC is implemented at the earliest, he maintained.
He said the present BJP led State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh should play a pivotal role in the implementation of NRC in the State, recounting that the state Cabinet has earlier taken a decision to implement NRC and Manipur population Commission. The students’ bodies have also submitted memorandum to the Union Government earlier on the issue, he added.
He said that the government should not take the demands lightly, contending it is a question of ‘Do or Die’ of the indigenous people. The influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries and other states, mass poppy plantation to the extent of deforestation have seriously impacted on the indigenous people of the State.Given the facts, the state government need to take up immediate steps instead of maintaining stoic silence.
Until the NRC is implemented in the state, the students’ bodies, Meira paibi organisations, mothers of Ima markets will not remain silent, he said while appealing to all stake holders of the state to come forward and extend supports for the early implementation of NRC in the state for the protection of indigenous people of the State.
‘We are not even scared to sacrifice for the implementation of NRC in the State’, he maintained.
Mention may be made that representatives of seven student organisations of Manipur- All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF), Democratic Students’
Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA), Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK) and Apunba Ireipakki Maheriroi Sinpanglup (AIMS) had staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding implementation of National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in Manipur on March 20. Moreover, the Manipur Legislative Assembly had, in 2022, adopted a resolution to establish a state population commission and also to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
