Concerning over the report to haul the ensuing entire 1643-kilometer-long Indo-Myanmar border in Kuki-dominated areas as reported by some national media, the United Committee Manipur (UCM) commented, “If the root cause of the ongoing unrest in Manipur is not fixed, how can there be a solution.”
During a press meet held at the UCM office in Imphal, UCM president YK Dhiren welcomed the central government’s approval of Rs 31,000 crore for the construction of a 1,643-kilometer fence along the Indo-Myanmar border.
He highlighted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statements wherein Shah linked the unrest in Manipur to the porous border, which facilitates the entry of illegal immigrants and the narcotics trade.
Dhiren, however, criticised the decision to halt border fencing in certain Kuki-dominated areas, which are considered hotspots for illegal immigration.
“It is unfortunate that the central government has chosen to stop fencing in these sensitive regions,” he remarked, adding that such a move could exacerbate the ongoing crisis.
He also highlighted scrapping of the the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR) as a means to control entry of illegal immigrants which will be leading to demographic imbalance, as stated by AmIT Shah.
Questioning the hidden agenda behind the report to halt border fencing in Kuki areas, he stated that such will only lead to worsening the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
The UCM demanded the earliest implementation of the fencing work and speed up the progress except for areas where there are border disputes.
Additionally, the UCM pointed out discrepancies in claims regarding the progress of the fencing project.
While Amit Shah had asserted that 30 kilometers of the Manipur border had been effectively fenced in under 100 days, Dhiren noted that the UCM had only witnessed the completion of 10 kilometers, with no updates on the remaining 20 kilometers.
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