Centre assures Manipur delegation of territorial integrity, resettlement

The Centre assured a delegation of civil societies from Manipur on Monday that it would seriously consider all issues related to maintaining the territorial integrity of the state, ensuring free movement for all, and implementing a phased and time-bound resettlement plan for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their original places of habitation.

In what was the third meeting between a Manipuri delegation and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in the past three months, the 19-member delegation reiterated the necessity of implementing a National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism to effectively address the issue of illegal immigration.

It also expressed a clear stance against any extension of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with militant organisations without a prior comprehensive and amicable understanding among all stakeholders within the state.

The delegation is said to have pressed for the urgent need to ensure free movement for all, emphasising that it is not only a fundamental right and a Constitutional obligation of the government, but also the first essential step toward restoring peace in the state.

It also raised the issue of the inquiry report on the Gwaltabi bus incident with the MHA officials.

The panel also submitted a memorandum to the MHA officials regarding urgent concerns over farmers’ security and safety. The issue pertains to several incidents which have taken place in the state within the past few days, where farmers having land holdings in areas bordering Kuki and Meitei dominated regions, were stopped from tilling their lands.

There has been demand for providing security to farmers when they go to cultivate their lands in the abovementioned regions.

The issue of territorial integrity refers to the demand of some Kuki-Zo groups for the creation of a “separate administration.” The Meiteis continue to be “barred” from using the National Highway-2 and National Highway-37, which connect the Imphal Valley to the rest of the country through areas controlled by the Kuki-Zo people.

India