Manipur: Civil Society Organizations reiterate demand for implementation of NRC, constitution of Population Commission

Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and United Naga Council (UNC) on February 24 reiterated their demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizen (NRC) and constitution of the population commission in the wake of the constant influx of immigrants in the state. 

In an official joint statement, both COCOMO and UNC stated that the continuous influx of immigrants population in the state has become a serious threat to the demography of the region. 

''As an impact of it, Manipur is facing many problems including loss of forest area, massive deforestation, and gross smuggling of drugs from border areas. The state government should pull up socks and take real action to address the large influx of unidentified population before it is too late,'' the organizations added.

The statement further said that the two indigenous apex body COCOMI and UNC has been pursuing the state and the central government to control the illegal influx of immigrants. 

They have also submitted several memorandums demanding the implementation of NRC, the constitution of the population commission which the present state cabinet has already approved and not to recognize any new villages without proper verification and scrutiny at the government level. 

In the last Monsoon Session of the Manipur State Assembly, the matter for NRC and population commission was unanimously resolved as a private member bill. Despite all the given facts, no visible action has been taken up by the state government. 

As time passes, the problem is getting serious and it is high time that the state government should begin some immediate action to save the future of this land and its people from all forms of impact arising out of the demographic imbalance and ever-continuing pressure from illegal immigrants and migrants, it added.

“We appeal to the present government to act soon or the future of Manipur is likely to be doomed very soon. If the government fails to act as an urgent matter, COCOMI and UNC have no other options than to come forward and take their own course to save the future of our land and its people by all possible means,” it warned.

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