The Indigenous People’s Forum of Manipur (IPFM) has issued a strong and urgent appeal to both the state and central governments, warning of an alarming demographic crisis unfolding in the state. In a detailed statement, the Forum highlighted that the *influx of illegal immigrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, is leading to *massive and unnatural demographic shifts that pose a serious threat to the indigenous communities of Manipur.
According to the Forum, illegal migrants—primarily including Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas—are entering Manipur through porous international borders and *key routes like National Highways 2 and 37, often using fake identity documents. The *district of Jiribam, for instance, has seen its population grow by over 80% between 1951 and 2011, with a noticeable shift in its ethnic and religious composition.
The IPFM also drew attention to the *unusual growth of villages in the hill districts, especially in Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and Chandel, where the number of settlements has expanded at an unnatural rate. Between 1969 and 2021, Kangpokpi grew from 179 to 534 villages, and Churachandpur from 216 to 544. Currently, 966 new villages are seeking official recognition, raising serious questions about the drivers of such growth and its implications on resource allocation and political representation.
The Forum also noted that internal migration of skilled and unskilled workers from other Indian states such as Bihar, Odisha, and Assam has altered the local labor economy. These migrants have taken over many semi-skilled jobs, especially in urban markets, often with the tacit encouragement of politicians seeking electoral gains.
Significant shifts in political representation have also emerged as a consequence of these demographic changes. While Naga MLAs were more prominent in early Assemblies, recent decades have seen a rise in Kuki-Chin representation, shifting the balance of power in the state legislature. Such changes, the Forum argued, are deeply intertwined with demographic engineering and settlement politics.
The Indigenous People’s Forum emphasized that these developments are not just demographic, but also carry geopolitical and security implications, particularly in light of unrest in neighboring Myanmar and strategic interest in border regions.
In conclusion, the Forum urged urgent government action to protect the rights, identity, and future of Manipur’s indigenous communities. “If this trend continues unchecked, the indigenous people will be completely marginalized, politically sidelined, and ultimately outnumbered in their own homeland,” warned the statement.
