“Public deserves answers”: Biren Singh questions Manipur’s progress on illegal immigrant detection

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has cautioned that the state is losing sight of the core issue of illegal immigrants, which he says lies at the heart of Manipur’s ongoing crisis. 

In a strongly worded statement, he said Manipur must not allow “powerful groups” to divert attention from the problem of illegal infiltration from neighbouring countries.

Biren Singh recalled that during his tenure under the NDA government, Manipur was the first state in the region to begin identifying illegal immigrants and refugees. “At that time, we were criticised by leaders of neighbouring states. But today, every nearby state, including Nagaland and Mizoram, has realised the gravity of the problem and started taking strict action,” he said.

He particularly highlighted Mizoram’s ongoing verification drive, saying the state has completed nearly 58 percent of biometric verification of suspected illegal immigrants. “How much has Manipur done till now? The public deserves this answer,” he asked.

Biren Singh alleged that the shift away from the illegal immigrant issue in Manipur is deliberate. “Some powerful groups are trying to ensure that the state and central authorities get trapped in secondary issues under the name of ‘ethnic violence’, so they forget the primary threat facing Manipur,” he said.

He urged both the Manipur government and the Centre to “stay firm” and continue the process of detecting and deporting illegal immigrants and refugees to their countries of origin. “We must not allow anti-national and anti-state elements to distract us. The safety, stability and future of Manipur depend on keeping our attention on the core issue that started this entire crisis,” he added.