Manipur: Meitei Leepul claims present crisis is against illegal immigrants in state

Clarifying the misconception that exists amongst the majority population in the state and in India about the present crisis, Meitei Leepul claimed that the present crisis is not between Meitei and Kuki or Meitei or Christian or Meitei or Tribals but with illegal immigrants. 

In a press conference held at the premises of Meitei Leepul, its leader, M Pramod said that the state is facing the brunt of the large influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring country Myanmar. Freely allowing them to enter the state is a great threat to national security. 

He continued and alleged that such illegal immigrants indulge only in illegal activities like poppy cultivation, and drug business under the supervision of drug cartels from the Asia Pacific region. Manipur has started encountering its impact as many youths have become drug dependent. The problem of illegal influx x of immigrants is a long-neglected issue but the present government has started paying attention. To oppose it, present communal tension has erupted as manifestation by other communities.

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"In a democratic society, the majority wins the vote. As such leaders usually don't take an influx of illegal immigrants seriously just to get a vote bank," he claimed.

He stated that the illegal immigrants coming to Manipur from Myanmar are not recognised citizens of Myanmar as well. It is hard to identify their actual origin but they are an advanced community bestowed with full of skill. However, once they reach Manipur, they are recognised as a scheduled tribe and now they had started demanding a separate homeland.

"It is high time to know the root cause of the present crisis and how to deal with it by all indigenous people of Manipur to save our future," he stated while clarifying that the present conflict is not about Meitei and Kuki or Meitei and Christian or Meitei and tribes. But to flush out illegal immigrants under specific rules and regulations of India.

He also said that during the then monarchial period, the reserved forest was properly protected in Manipur. But in the last some years, it was completely destructed and started settling many people. 

Taking up the initiative of forest conservation, stopping poppy cultivation, implementing National Registrar Citizens, and the inclusion of Meitei or Meetei in the scheduled tribe list by the Manipur government,  the present crisis has erupted as such steps would affect those illegal immigrants in their survival. The main objective of Meitei Leepul is also to save the future of Manipur by flushing out all illegal immigrants. But unfortunately, some tribal communities had mistaken them as "Manipur government agents or chief minister's agents" which is baseless.