Meiteis participate in a rally organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), in Imphal, Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
A day after issuing an appeal for "social boycott" of the BJP government in Manipur due to its alleged failure to act against "Kuki narco-terrorists," Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential organisation of the Meiteis in Imphal Valley, on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the implementation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) - with 1951 as the base year and asking the government to act against "foreign elements" involved in the ongoing violence.
In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister's Office, the COCOMI also opposed any change in territorial integrity and the system of administration in Manipur, as demanded by Kuki organisations.
"To identify the illegal immigrants, the NRC must be implemented in the state with 1951 as the base year. This is to deprive illegal immigrants from being citizens though they may continue to stay as guests, if necessary, without indulging in destructive politics by creating concocted history and bombarding the media and seeking support from the left liberals to achieve what is known as a Kuki-Zomi nation (Zalengam) comprising areas from three countries (sic)," said the memorandum.
The Meitei organisations claimed that Manipur witnessed "large-scale illegal immigration" from neighbouring Myanmar in districts like Churachandpur, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong and Kangpokpi, upsetting the well-established demography.
"Not only this, they started settling in reserved and protected forests of the state. Besides, large scale poppy cultivation started which yielded tremendous profits mainly by the recent immigrants literally destroying the forest of the state which is now almost barren resulting in severe global warming effect in the state which is now facing a near drought situation for the third consecutive year (sic)," the memorandum continued.
Claiming that ongoing conflict is not a religious or tribal versus non-tribal issue, the COCOMI contended it was a manifestation of the simmering tension over deforestation, opium/poppy cultivation and large-scale changes to demography in specific areas of the state - mainly caused by "illegal immigrants from Myanmar" in specific areas.
Kuki organisations, however, rejected the claims and said by demanding NRC, the Meiteis are trying to tag all the Kukis as "illegal immigrants" and thereby undermine their long history in Manipur.
'Foreign elements'
Alleging the role of "foreign elements" in the ongoing conflict, the COCOMI on Monday said, "The foreign elements including some of the leaders of the Kuki-Zomi Suspension of Operation groups who are of foreign origin should be identified and confined or deported to Myanmar. Those foreign elements directly involved in the conflict should either be eliminated or pushed out of the territory of India (sic)".
The COCOMI also opposed the demand by Kuki organisations for a "separate administration" for the Kukis in Manipur. "Any change in the territorial integrity and administration may bring a death knell to many small tribal communities; which will be a great loss as even now they are highly marginalised (sic)".
More than 150 people have died in Manipur and over 60,000 others displaced due to clashes between sections of the Meiteis and Kukis in the last three months.
Kuki organisations, meanwhile, have contended that a "separate administration" is the only way forward to establish peace in the Northeastern state.
Assam experience
An NRC exercise was carried out in Assam between 2013 and 2018 due to the long-standing demand to detect "foreigners" - with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date. More than 19.06 lakh applicants were left out of the "final draft" as they could not prove their Indian citizenship. The exercise, which incurred expenditure of over Rs 1,600 crores, however, was pushed into the backburner as the BJP government and several local organisations refused to accept it, claiming it was not properly done.