Manipur Naga tribes urge PM to act against ‘unchecked’ illegal migration

Imphal, Dec 4 (PTI) The Joint Tribes Council Manipur, representing four Naga tribes, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take “urgent action” to curb what it termed unchecked illegal migration into the state, warning that the influx threatens the demographic balance and cultural identity of indigenous communities.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the Rongmei Naga Council, Liangmai Naga Council, Zeme Naga Council and Inpui Naga Union said Manipur has in recent years witnessed a “growing influx of illegal migrants” from Myanmar as well as from neighbouring Indian states where the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise is underway.

Rongmei, Liangmai, Zeme and Inpui tribes are concentrated in Tamenglong, Noney and Kangpokpi districts.

“The continuous inflow has strained local resources and now poses a serious threat to the cultural identity, economic stability and traditional livelihoods of native indigenous communities in Manipur,” the memorandum stated.

It said the situation was “particularly critical” along major highways where “new settlements have mushroomed without check.” They alleged that several of these settlements are linked to large-scale deforestation for illicit poppy cultivation and are “protected by well-armed militant groups.” “These groups survive through illegal taxation of commercial vehicles on national highways and by engaging in widespread poppy plantation on land belonging to the indigenous Naga people,” the organisations claimed.

They further alleged that such groups are now “claiming ancestral Naga lands as their own and demanding a separate administration.” Roads were being built without community consent to connect these settlements through inter-village routes that pass through Naga areas, the memorandum said, adding that some routes have been renamed after militant leaders and unauthorised check gates installed near Naga villages, restricting movement.

The council also pointed to what it described as an imbalance in political representation, noting that the number of Kuki legislators increased from one in 1952-57 to 10 in 2025, while the number of Naga MLAs rose only from seven in 1952-57 to 10 in 2025. PTI COR NN