On August 6, as the Manipur Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to implement the National Register of Citizens, it became the second Northeastern state which is going to implement a rigorous mechanism to identify its citizens.
The resolution was the outcome of the demands of civil and student bodies representing two communities of Manipur- the Meiteis living in the valley and the Nagas from the hills--- to protect the indigenous population from the influx of outsiders.
After a couple of Private Member Bills placed in the Assembly by Janata Dal (United) legislator Kh Joykishan Singh and representations by some 20 tribal organizations and their affiliates to the union government, the state is soon going to start the process of the NRC and establish a State Population Commission. The move follows amidst reports of illegal influx of the Chin refugees from neighbouring Myanmar after a military coup in February 2021.
The United Naga Council (UNC) and the Coordination Committee Of Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), are two prominent civil bodies representing the Nagas and Meiteis in the state.
These two different communities have often clashed over land rights, but they found a common opponent in the Kukis and came together to ask the Manipur Government to implement the NRC.
The Kukis live in the hills of Manipur alongside the Myanmar border. The hill tribe is scattered in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. They are regarded as outlander or latter migrants and face allegations of encroaching upon lands of indigenous communities, including the sacred mountains of ancestors of the Meiteis. The push for an NRC came at the heels of the Chin refugees being assisted by the Kukis to permanently settle in the Kuki-inhabited areas of the state.
Various reports suggest that the number of refugees fleeing the Junta regime in Myanmar and taking shelter in Manipur is between 4000-10000. The Kuki tribe living in Manipur has traditional, cultural and linguistic similarities with the Chins.
Talking to Outlook, COCOMI’s Executive Member Khuraijam Athouba said: “Manipur is a small state with a population of 3 million. The Indigenous population of Manipur is only 21 lakhs. The socio-cultural identity of Manipur is unique and this should be protected and preserved. The Kukis are assisting the Chins to settle down in Manipur. This will change the political discourse of the state.”
According to Athouba, the Chin refugees are also provided with fake Aadhar cards and other identity documents so that they can mix with the local population as bonafide citizens of India.
“The electoral process is determined by the population. In Assam, the migrant Bengali population from Bangladesh has taken over 30-40% assembly seats and changed the demography. But Assam is a large state. Manipur is a small state with limited resources,” Athouba said.
Talking to Outlook, UNC secretary S Milan said that if such assimilation of migrants continues, “there will be a huge change in the demography of the state”. “We want an NRC with a base year and all those migrating to the state after that year should be treated as migrants. We may stay and progress together, but the indigenous communities cannot be placed on an equal footing with the migrants,” he said.
According to Milan, an NRC will save the future generations of Manipur. The Manipur Assembly has decided 1961 as the cut off year for the NRC. All Manipur Students’ Union, a powerful student body of Assam, believes that the government is going to implement the NRC before the 2024 Assembly polls. Union’s president Javed Ahmed said, “The government has already started the process. It has brought out circulars and notifications regarding the NRC. Unlike Assam, the NRC is going to be implemented in Manipur.”
The Assam example
The demand for the NRC in Manipur comes at a time when the BJP-led government in Assam has already rejected the final NRC. In Assam, the register of citizens was prepared in seven years at a cost of Rs 1220 crores, involving 55000 personnel. Still, the ruling BJP did not accept it citing gaps in the process. Many indigenous groups of Assam pointed out that the number of illegal citizens identified by the NRC was way less than projected by the party.
The Kuki organizations have raised concern about the implementation of the NRC in the state. Sasang Vaiphei, President of the Kuki Students’ Union General Headquarters, believed that the NRC would have serious implications.
“It will have an impact on all communities of the state and might result in creating a group of Internally Displaced People in Manipur,” said Vaiphei.
