IMPHAL, Nov 5: Hundreds of students took part in a rally on
the streets in Imphal on Saturday demanding immediate
implementation of National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in
Manipur.
No untoward incident happened during the rally carried out
under the joint aegis of six different students’ bodies –
AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIM.
The rally kicked off from Imphal College campus at
Kwakeithel and marched along Tidim Road upto Raj Bhavan
where they seated on the ground near the main entrance
gate amid the heavy presence of police and security forces.
The students from various colleges and schools chanted
various slogans demanding implementation of NRC in the
state, detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, etc.
while leaving the gate following pressure from the police.
“Detect and deport illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Nepal
and Bangladesh,” read one of the placards carried by the
students.
“We demand NRC in Manipur,” “Check influx of illegal
immigrants,” other placards read.
At the concluding part of the rally that converged at the
originating place after marching on the street, a meeting was
held in which leaders of the six students’ bodies stressed the
need for introduction of the NRC in the state.
They asserted that implementation of the NRC is the only
long-term policy to check the ever-increasing illegal
immigrants in the state.
Talking to reporters on the sideline of the rally, spokesperson
of the six students’ bodies, Mayengbam Somorjit alleged that
the influx of outsiders into the state has given a great impact
to the demography of the state.
“We are demanding implementation of the NRC in the state
for a long time to protect the indigenous population,” he
said.
Unfortunately, the state government as well as the Centre
had not taken up any step to implement the NRC to address
the issue of illegal immigrants.
The clear evidence was the recent detection of a large
number of Myanmar nationals staying in border town Moreh
when state police and security forces launched search
operations to nab perpetrator(s) behind the killing of SDPO
Ch Anand Kumar, he said.
As many as 32 Myanmar nationals were detected and
detained on the initial stage of the operation launched in the
border town Moreh after the killing of the SDPO on October
31 last.
“The detection of a large number of foreigners from the
neighbouring state itself showed that population invasion is
taking place in the state taking advantage of the ongoing
crisis”, he alleged.
On the other hand, the spokesperson added that after the
outbreak of the violence, detection of illegal immigrants in
Churachandpur district remained suspended.
The developing situation in the state further showed that
population invasion is picking up to dominate the indigenous
population of the state.
The students’ bodies as well as civil society organisations
have repeatedly urged the authorities to take measures to
detect, delete, and deport illegal immigrants, especially from
Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
However, no concrete step is seen being taken up so far, he
lamented. (NNN)
