AMUCO slams Manipur govt for silence on illegal immigrant detection as deadline nears

President of the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), Pheiroijam Nando Luwang, has strongly criticised the Manipur government for its silence over the identification of illegal immigrants in the state, even as the one-month deadline set by the Government of India draws to a close.

Speaking at the 24th Great June Uprising Day — also observed as Unity Day — held at Kekrupat in Imphal, Nando questioned the state government’s commitment to the Union government's May 19 directive, which mandated all states to detect illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh within a month.

“The deadline is ending tomorrow, yet the Government of Manipur has not disclosed a single update. This is despite the fact that the state is already grappling with the severe consequences of unchecked illegal influx, especially from Myanmar,” Nando stated.

He further added, “The root cause of the ongoing conflict in Manipur lies in the massive influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar. Even before the Government of India’s order, people of the state have been demanding action. But now they are left wondering if the Manipur government is complying with the directive at all.”

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Expressing grave concern, Nando remarked, “If no steps have been taken by the Manipur government, it raises a serious question — does the Government of India even consider Manipur a part of the country anymore?”

He also denounced the Centre’s decision to shut down seven camps of Kuki insurgent groups under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, particularly those located near Meitei-dominated areas.

“The SoO agreement had already lapsed, and the public has been demanding its abrogation. Amidst this, the Government of India’s move to relocate camps is shocking. It may appear as a move to appease the Meitei community, but in reality, such a decision is unacceptable,” he said.

Highlighting discrepancies in arms recovery, Nando alleged, “So far, around 80% of illegal arms have been recovered only from the valley areas, while hill districts — where foreign-made sophisticated weapons were used — have seen little to no recovery. Unless weapons are seized from both sides, peace cannot be restored.”

Nando also accused the Central government of continuously playing divisive politics in Manipur. He referred to the 2001 ceasefire extension between NSCN-IM and the Government of India “without territorial limits”, which had sparked mass protests and the deaths of 18 civilians. Kekrupat, where those individuals were cremated, has since become a powerful symbol of resistance and unity.

Concluding his speech, Nando called for solidarity among all 34–35 ethnic communities of Manipur, urging them to stay united to safeguard the state from disintegration under external pressure or policies of division.

The Unity Day observance was attended by leaders from various communities, who paid floral tributes to the 18 martyrs who laid down their lives in defence of the state’s territorial integrity.