Nongthombam Biren Singh. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
GUWAHATI
Former Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh has flagged the State’s “existential crisis” caused 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 Modi, seeking his attention to the impact of unchecked illegal migration from Myanmar on the State’s indigenous population.
The JCTM is an organisation of Nagas, the second-largest group in Manipur. Meiteis form the largest group, while the Kukis are the third-largest.
Sharing a video from a Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district on Wednesday (December 3, 2025), Mr Singh wrote on X: “This video, recorded today (December 3), shows why recurrent floods have taken place in the State. The footage shows a poppy plantation at Kolten and Selsi Hill Ranges of IT-Road under T. Waichong Sub-division in Kangpokpi district.”
“All our forest(s) have been destroyed while we are trying to pull each other down. None of our leaders has spoken out against such wide-scale devastation,” he said, seeking to know why the Forest Department officials did not take any action against the destroyers of greenery.
“It is suspected that armed militants are involved in these illicit activities. Unless we take concrete action, the State will face an existential crisis,” he warned.
The JTCM underscored a similar concern in its memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Governor on Thursday (December 4), seeking his intervention to lessen the burden of illegal migration from across the border on Manipur’s indigenous peoples.
It claimed that the “alarming” rate of migration has had far-reaching consequences on the indigenous population, social security, and the demographic balance of Manipur. “In recent years, Manipur has witnessed a growing influx of illegal migrants from war-torn Myanmar and from Indian States where the NRC (National Register of Citizens) exercise is being implemented,” it said.
“Continuous influx”
“This continuous inflow has strained local resources and now poses a serious threat to cultural identity, economic stability, and traditional livelihoods of native indigenous communities in Manipur,” the JCTM said, claiming that the situation was particularly critical along the major highways, where new settlements have mushroomed unchecked.
“Many of these settlements have links to mass deforestation for illicit activity – large-scale poppy cultivation. Several well-armed militant groups are known to protect these newly established villages,” the JTCM said.
The organisation said the situation has reached such a stage that the migrants are claiming ancestral Naga lands as their own and demanding a separate administration.
It claimed that there had been a consistent increase in Manipur’s Kuki population between 1951 and 2011, rising from 79,919 to 4,48,214, an overall growth of about 460.7% over six decades.
The JCTM urged the Centre to identify and deport the illegal migrants, dismantle unlawful settlements, particularly those involved in poppy cultivation; and remove armed militant groups from these areas to restore peace, order and a sense of security.
“We humbly request your esteemed office to kindly prioritise this matter and initiate the necessary measures to safeguard our demographic landscape, and ensure the dignity, security and well-being of all indigenous communities of Manipur,” it said in the memorandum to Mr. Modi with a copy to Home Minister Amit Shah.
Published – December 05, 2025 02:28 am IST
