Manipur Home Minister avoids comment on India-Myanmar border talks amid territorial exchange reports

Manipur Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh on August 7 declined to comment on reports that India and Myanmar are discussing a possible territorial exchange to resolve an undemarcated section of the international border along Manipur.

 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day consultative meeting-cum-seminar on "The Demographic Profile of Manipur" organised by the Home Department, the minister was asked about recent reports of ongoing India-Myanmar border negotiations and concerns over demographic changes in the state.

 

Govindas Singh refrained from making any remarks on the issue, saying an appropriate response would be given at the right time.

 

"I request you to wait for some time. We will give a detailed response at the appropriate time," he said.

 

His remarks come days after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that India and Myanmar are holding discussions to settle unresolved stretches of their shared border.

 

During a press briefing in New Delhi on August 4, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said certain sections of the India-Myanmar border remain undemarcated and bilateral discussions are underway to resolve the pending boundary issues.

 

"There are certain areas on the border which are yet to be settled. Discussions on those sectors are ongoing," Jaiswal had said while responding to reports that India was considering a land swap with Myanmar along the Manipur border.

 

Although the MEA did not confirm any proposal for a territorial exchange, the clarification followed a report by The Diplomat, which claimed that New Delhi was examining a proposal to demarcate the border between Boundary Pillars 65 and 68 through an exchange of around 1.4 square miles of territory.

 

According to the report, the unresolved 2.8-kilometre stretch lies in Chandel district of Manipur, bordering Myanmar's Kabaw Valley in the Sagaing Region. The report further claimed that an official document dated May 26, 2026, proposed completing the demarcation exercise within three months.

 

The India-Myanmar border extends for more than 1,600 kilometres across Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, with a few stretches still awaiting final demarcation through bilateral negotiations.