On Thursday (4th December), four Manipur-based Naga tribes wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent action against unchecked illegal immigration of Kukis into the State from neighbouring Myanmar.
The tribes constituting the ‘Joint Tribes Council Manipur’ informed, “In recent years, Manipur has witnessed a growing influx of illegal migrants-both from the war-torn country of Myanmar and from neighbouring Indian states where NRC exercises is being implemented.”
“This continuous inflow has strained local resources and now poses a serious threat to the cultural identity, economic stability, and traditional livelihoods of native indigenous communities in Manipur. The situation is particularly critical along the major highways, where new settlements have mushroomed unchecked,” it added.
The ‘Joint Tribes Council Manipur’ pointed out that the Kukis from Myanmar are involved in large-scale poppy cultivation and are protected by well-armed underground (militants) groups.
4 Tribes writes to the PM to identify and deport illegal Chin Kuki migrants to restore peace in Manipur. (Pic 1)
— Meitei Heritage Society (@meiteiheritage) December 4, 2025
In 1881 Chin Kuki population in Manipur was ~1/6 of Naga Population.
By 2011, it was almost equal.
In 1972-73, there was 6 Chin Kuki MLAs vs 13 Nagar MLAs.
Today… pic.twitter.com/a91uVwqhcq
“These groups survive through illegal taxation of commercial vehicles plying on National Highways and by engaging in widespread poppy plantation on land belonging to the Indigenous Naga people. Their activities threatened the environment, regional stability, public health, and National security,” it added.
While pointing out the menace of illegal immigration and demographic change, the Naga tribes stated, “They now claim ancestral Naga lands as their own and demand a separate administration. Roads are being constructed without consent of the indigenous people to connect their settlements by linking inter-village routes that pass through our Naga villages.”
They further pointed out that the Naga community in Manipur is now living in fear and uncertanity and have become refygees in their own homeland.
The ‘Joint Tribes Council Manipur’ shared data which highlights a meteoric rise in Kuki-Chin representation in the political landscape of the State.
