HT Digital
IMPHAL, APR 2: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has made the sensational allegation that the demographic changes in the state were systematically constructed decades ago when thousands of refugees were settled across the state through a planned initiative, with complete knowledge of the authorities.
He pointed out that this problem, although frequently skipped in public rhetoric, has taken a major toll on Manipur’s social scene over the past decades.
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In a lengthy statement on his X handle, Singh quoted official documents showing that as far back as the late 1960s and early 70s, more than 1,500 refugee families had been settled in Manipur. He referred to a key piece of evidence—a letter by Paokai Haokip, Member of Parliament from Manipur at the time, to the Minister of State for Home Affairs, K.C. Pant—clearly accepting this settlement. According to Singh, several government letters and pleas by refugee organizations further attest to this age-old fact.
The then CM asked several critical and as-yet unanswered questions: Where did these families of refugees go? Were they conferred full citizen rights and enlisted in voters’ lists? Were they entitled to government welfare schemes for the indigenous people? Were there legal channels to monitor their status? Singh claimed these are not bureaucratic matters but critically influence Manipur’s identity, social equilibrium, and destiny.
Complaining, Singh said that persons who try to bring up these issues are immediately attacked and labeled negatively for simply raising questions regarding past decisions. He intimated that if he had kept quiet, then he could have been seen to be “agreeable or unproblematic.”
“Silence is no longer an option. We cannot afford to sit idly by while a centuries-old issue with profound implications continues to define our future and present. It is time to reopen this chapter—not to place blame, but to find out its ramifications and pave a reasonable and balanced way forward,” Singh declared.
From his political and governance experience, Singh emphasized that leadership is all about holding one’s ground on facts and not compromising on political expediency. “We owe it to our people to be truthful, defend their dignity, and be forward-looking. That’s what it means to be a statesman, not just a politician,” he said.
