Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced on Monday that individuals who arrived and established residence in the state after 1961, irrespective of their caste or community, would be identified and deported. This measure is viewed as a step towards protecting the ethnic communities of Manipur, which has been witnessing sectarian tensions since May 2023, Times of India (ToI) reported.

Singh attributed the violence that gripped the state for months to the drug mafia and illegal migrants, particularly refugees from Myanmar, said the report.

 Speaking at the launch of a skill development programme on Monday, the Manipur CM described the current state of affairs in the region as a struggle for existence and cultural identity, highlighting the seriousness of the issues at hand. 

He also stressed the urgency of resolving the state’s crisis.

“We are passing through troubled times. The crisis we are facing today is one of struggle for existence, survival, and identity. The properties and identity, inherited over centuries, have now become insecure due to the lack of vision of certain politicians. Our generation is insecure today, so the government is working to make your future secure,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Singh further emphasised the significance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s social media announcement about the termination of the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR). He added that the government’s measures, such as erecting fences and revoking the FMR, were aimed at guaranteeing a secure future, thereby curbing rampant illegal immigration and illicit activities like drug trade and weapons trafficking.

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