Nongthombam Biren Singh. File | Photograph Credit score: PTI
GUWAHATI
Former Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh has flagged the State’s “existential disaster” brought on by the destruction of forests for poppy plantations.
His warning preceded a petition filed by the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM) to Prime Minister Narendra Modilooking for his consideration to the influence of unchecked unlawful migration from Myanmar on the State’s indigenous inhabitants.
The JCTM is a company of Nagas, the second-largest group in Manipur. Meiteis type the most important group, whereas the Kukis are the third-largest.
Sharing a video from a Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district on Wednesday (December 3, 2025), Mr Singh wrote on
“All our forest(s) have been destroyed whereas we are attempting to tug one another down. None of our leaders has spoken out in opposition to such wide-scale devastation,” he stated, looking for to know why the Forest Division officers didn’t take any motion in opposition to the destroyers of greenery.
“It’s suspected that armed militants are concerned in these illicit actions. Until we take concrete motion, the State will face an existential disaster,” he warned.
The JTCM underlined an analogous concern in its memorandum to the Prime Minister by the Governor on Thursday (December 4), looking for his intervention to minimize the burden of unlawful migration from throughout the border on Manipur’s indigenous peoples.
It claimed that the “alarming” price of migration has had far-reaching penalties on the indigenous inhabitants, social safety, and the demographic stability of Manipur. “In recent times, Manipur has witnessed a rising inflow of unlawful migrants from war-torn Myanmar and from Indian States the place the NRC (Nationwide Register of Residents) train is being carried out,” it stated.
“Steady inflow”
“This steady inflow has strained native sources and now poses a critical risk to cultural identification, financial stability, and conventional livelihoods of native indigenous communities in Manipur,” the JCTM stated, claiming that the state of affairs was significantly vital alongside the foremost highways, the place new settlements have mushroomed unchecked.
“Many of those settlements have hyperlinks to mass deforestation for illicit exercise – large-scale poppy cultivation. A number of well-armed militant teams are identified to guard these newly established villages,” the JTCM stated.
The group stated the state of affairs has reached such a stage that the migrants are claiming ancestral Naga lands as their very own and demanding a separate administration.
It claimed that there had been a constant improve in Manipur’s Kuki inhabitants between 1951 and 2011, rising from 79,919 to 4,48,214, an general progress of about 460.7% over six a long time.
The JCTM urged the Heart to establish and deport the unlawful migrants, dismantle illegal settlements, significantly these concerned in poppy cultivation; and take away armed militant teams from these areas to revive peace, order and a way of safety.
“We humbly request your esteemed workplace to kindly prioritize this matter and provoke the mandatory measures to safeguard our demographic panorama, and make sure the dignity, safety and well-being of all indigenous communities of Manipur,” it stated within the memorandum to Mr. Modi with a duplicate to Dwelling Minister Amit Shah.
Printed – December 05, 2025 02:28 am IST