Manipur: Liangmai Naga Council submits memorandum to CM N Biren Singh seeking early implementation of NRC

Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur on August 11 submitted a memorandum to state Chief Minister N Biren Singh requesting for an early implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The council further raised an objection to the setting up of semi-permanent relief camps or separate administration units for the Kukis affecting the Liangmai ancestral land in Manipur.

''Request for early implementation of National Register Citizens (NRC) and objection to the setting up of semi-permanent relief camps or separate administration unit for the Kukis affecting the Liangmai ancestral land in Manipur,'' the memorandum read.

The Naga council further put forward a few facts in front o the Manipur Chief Minister and sought his intervention.

The council said that it is a well-known fact that, there has been an abnormal growth of the Kuki population in the nineties onwards especially in the general area of the Koubru Range. 

''This abnormal growth could be attributed to many factors and one such unmistakable factor was an uncontrolled influx of illegal immigration mainly from Myanmar (Burma) being facilitated for electoral gain in the last seventy years in the state. Today, due to the gross negligence of the Manipur government and its machinery, the population of illegal immigrants has overwhelmed the demographic landscape of the State especially heavy settlements in the well-defined area of the Liangmais. At this abnormal growth rate, the days are not far off when the indigenous people will be displaced and faced the status of refugee in their own land,'' the Naga council added.

It further said that the unprecedented growth of the Kuki population/villages, and the relocation/migration of displaced people along IT Road due to ongoing violence has caused unrest amongst the indigenous Liangmai population as the relocation may lead to encroachment on our land unless strict vigilance measures are implemented.

''The state government should maintain a detailed record of the displaced people who have sought shelter in various relief camps and villages of IT-road and Koubru ranges under Kangpokpi Districts and ensure that the same figure should be returned to their respective villages/districts whenever normalcy returns. There should not be any permanent settlement of these displaced people in our area,'' the memorandum read.

It further said that as setting up relief camps in the area will give easy access to the establishment of new villages, the state government should implement a mechanism to check and curb such mushrooming of villages in the area.

''It is to be reiterated that the Liangmai villages settled along the Koubru ranges of Kangpokpi, Senapati, and Tamenglong have well-defined and distinctly demarcated village boundaries with one another which are clearly marked by permanent features such as hills, ridges, rivers, streams, and other permanent landmarks,'' it added. 

In Liangmai ancestral land there is no vacant land or no man's land rather every land, river, streams, valleys, falls, and hillocks are with names and every land has its owner except the community land, the memorandum read further. 

''Therefore, the demand for a separate Administration in Manipur by any community should not touch an inch of the land of Liangmais in Manipur,'' the council said.

The council said that the ultimate solution, to ensure checks and balances over the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants and also stop land encroachments, is the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

''Therefore, the Liangmai Community urges the State Government to expedite the implementation of NRC so that only genuine, citizens of Manipur/India co-exist harmoniously,'' it added.