IMPHAL, Dec 4: The Naga community based Joint Tribes Council Manipur has urged prime minister Narendra Modi to “take urgent action” against the alarming unchecked illegal migration in the region and its far-reaching consequences on the indigenous population and demographic balance of the state.

In a memorandum submitted, by Rongmei Naga Council, Liangmai Naga Council, Zeme Naga Council and Inpui Naga Union through governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the tribal bodies stated “in recent years Manipur has witnessed witnessed a growing influx of illegal migrants—both from the war-torn country of Myanmar and from neighbouring Indian states where NRC exercises is being implemented.”

Rongmei, Liangmai, Zeme and Inpui are Naga sub tribes based mostly in the state’s Tamenglong, Noney and Kangpokpi districts.

Urging the Prime Minister to take urgent action against the alarming issue of unchecked illegal migration in the region and its far-reaching consequences on the
indigenous population, its social security, and demographic balance of Manipur, the tribal bodies continued “this 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 situation is particularly critical along the major highways, where new settlements have mushroomed without check” it said.

The bodies alleged many of the new settlements have links to mass deforestations for illicit large scale poppy cultivation and are known to have been protected by several well-armed millitants groups.

The tribal bodies claimed “these groups survive through illegal taxation of commercial vehicles plying on National Highways and by engaging in widespread poppy plantation on land belonging to the indigenous Naga people.”

The tribal bodies said “they now claim ancestral Naga lands as their own and demand a separate administration. Roads are being constructed without consent of the indigenous people to connect their settlements by linking inter-village routes that pass through our Naga villages; some of these routes have even been renamed after their millitants leaders and unauthorized check gates have been installed near Naga villages and restricting movements.”

It also stated that the number of Kuki legislators have grown from one in 1952-57 to ten legislators in 2025 while that of the Naga legislators have only grown from seven MLAs in 1952-57 to ten in 2025.

It also said Kuki population of Manipur between 1951 and 2011, rising from 79,919 to 4,48,214, which is an overall growth of about 460.7% over six decades.

(By Our Correspondent)