IMPHAL:
Manipur CM N Biren Singh
declared Monday that people arriving and settling in the state after
1961
, regardless of their caste or community, will be identified and deported. This is seen as a move to protect
ethnic communities
of Manipur, which has been in the grip of
sectarian strife
since May 2023.
Singh had blamed drug mafia & illegal migrants, particularly refugees from Mynamar, for violence that rocked the state for months.
Singh emphasised that 1961 serves as base year for inner line permit system in Manipur. Enforced during British rule under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, ILP restricts entry of non-natives into Manipur without nod. Though it was withdrawn from Manipur in 1950, Centre reintroduced it in Dec 2019, following extensive protests.
It’s a struggle for existence: Biren
In June 2022, state cabinet decided to adopt 1961 as base year. However, several civil society groups and political parties advocated for 1951 as base.
Addressing ongoing crises, CM Biren Singh said: “Everyone knows we are passing through troubled times, even then we have to survive, we have to live. What is happening today is struggle for existence, survival, and identity.”
