Kangpokpi: The demand for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups gained momentum during the first Native People’s Convention, organised by the newly formed Native People’s Committee Manipur (NPCM) at Makhan village in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday.
Held under the theme “Unified Response”, the convention brought together hundreds of participants from the Meitei and Naga communities, who reiterated their commitment to protecting the rights, identity and interests of the indigenous people of Manipur.
During the convention, delegates extensively discussed about the prevailing law and order situation in the state and unanimously adopted seven points of resolutions. The resolutions include the demand for immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, removal of the Assam Rifles from the state and updation of the National Registration of Citizens (NRC).
Speaking to media persons on the sideline of the convention, Ashang Kasar, convenor of NPCM stated that the Native People’s Convention was jointly formed by the civil society organisations of both the Meitei and Naga communities to safeguard the indigenous people of the state amid growing socio-political challenges.
The resolutions adopted during the convention will be carried forward by the Native People’s Committee Manipur and translate it into action, stated Kasar.
Demanding the withdrawal of the Assam Rifles from Manipur, Kasar alleged that the country’s oldest paramilitary force had failed to maintain neutrality amid the ongoing crisis. He said these measures were necessary to restore public confidence in the security forces and to ensure peace and normalcy in the state.
He also expressed concern over what he described as a demographic imbalance in the state, attributing it to the alleged influx of illegal immigrants.
Kasar further informed that the Committee would hold a joint consultative meeting with the legislators of both the Meitei and Naga communities to further strengthen the adopted resolutions.
During the convention, experts and speakers from the native communities shared their insightful research and findings on various topics, including Challenges of Influx and Demographic Threat, Removal of Assam Rifles and Abrogation of SoO, Updation of NRC and Census and Present Crisis of Manipur.
The event witnessed the participation of leaders and representatives from various civil society organisations (CSOs) belonging to the Meitei and Naga communities.
Speaking at the convention, K Timothy Zimik, Retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Ministry of Finance (Revenue), Government of India, highlighted that the first phase of illegal immigration in Manipur took place between 1950s to 1960s when there was a civil war in the neighbouring country, Myanmer (then Burma). Since then, he noted, there has been an significant increase in the Kuki population within the state, as evidenced by the abnormal increase of new villages established in Kuki-dominated districts.
Zimik maintained that a comparision between the census of India 1961 and the census of India 2011 indicates a substantial increase in illegal immigration in Kuki dominated districts. He stated that this demographic shift has resulted in the indigenous people of Manipur being reduced to a minority in areas such as Senapati-Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Tengnoupal.
He further alleged that the large influx of illegal Kuki immigrants has emboldened demands for a separate union territory, with proposed legislation to carve it out from the Naga areas.
Zimik asserted that illegal immigrants have settled in strategically important locations, enabling them to control and blockade vital roads, create buffer zones, abduct and murder innocent people, and hold the population of Manipur to ransom.
He cited official sources—including the Gazette of India, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and the Government of Manipur—stating that the Kukis have established more than 1,718 new villages in the hill districts, primarily in Naga ancestral areas, between 1969 and 2023.
Between 1969 and 2023, Zimik highlighted notable changes in the number of villages across several districts. In Kangpokpi, the number of villages surged from 179 to 721, marking an increase of 542. By contrast, the Ukhrul district saw a reduction in villages from 106 to 92, a decrease of 14. Similarly, Churachandpur experienced a rise in villages from 282 to 842, an increase of 560. In Kamjong, the number of villages grew modestly from 127 to 132, an increase of just five.
Zimik further stated that 994 new villages have been established between 2006 and 2024, attributing this to the unchecked influx of illegal Kuki immigrants. He also claimed that during 2025-26, even more unauthorised Kuki villages have emerged, particularly along highways. According to Zimik, these increases are the result of invasions, encroachments, and forceful occupations, leading to a significant multiplication of Kuki villages in the region.
Zimik further emphasised that an abnormal increase of 1,167 Kuki villages was reported in just three districts—Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl. He noted that the addition of 554 villages in Chandel and Tengnoupal is also attributed to Kuki expansion in these Kuki-dominated areas. According to Zimik, this brings the total increase in Kuki villages to 1,721 between 1969 and 2023. In contrast, he pointed out that the number of new Naga villages in the districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong, Noney, and Kamjong amounted to only 67 during the same period.
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