In the midst of an ongoing violence in Manipur that has been lasting for over two months, the BJP-ruling state government has sparked an attention by ordering to deport about 718 people from the crisis-hit-state. The government has said that these 718 people were Myanmar nationals and they had entered Manipur illegally on July 22 and 23.

The order to deport them has been given to the Assam rifles and it has come at a high time when the two prominent ethnic groups in the state - Meitei and Kuki communities have been clashing each other since May. The acute violence has immensely collapsed the law & order in the state and has triggered a nationwide fury against both the state and centre-ruling BJP regime.

The Manipur government has on Monday asked the Assam Rifles to immediately deport 718 people who belong to Myanmar and entered illegally on July 22 and 23. In a statement, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi asked Assam Rifles as to how the Myanmar refugees entered the state despite strict instruction to the central force to prevent entry of foreign nationals without valid visa or travel documents. 

The Chief Secretary said, "The state government views the fresh illegal entry of 718 refugees very seriously with utmost sensitivity as the same may have international ramifications, more particularly in view of the ongoing law and order issues. In view of above, state government has sought detailed report from Assam Rifles authority to clarify on the facts and compelling circumstances/reasons, as to why and how these 718 Myanmar nationals were allowed to enter into India in Chandel district without proper travel documents, along with strict advice to push back those 718 illegal Myanmar nationals immediately." 

As per the statement, of those 718 migrants, 208 were women while 301 were children and they had entered New Lajang area in Chandel district on July 22 and 23. Earlier, the Manipur government had asked Assam Rifles to keep a tight watch on the India -Myanmar border and curb the entry of the Myanmar nationals or refugees without valid visa or travel documents. 

For Myanmar people, who were the victims of large-scale violence in their country, the northeasten states of India have become the top destination to flee and to seek asylum. As the states like Manipur and Mizoram share borders with Myanmar, the influx of Myanmar nationals has been pervasive and currently, Mizoram is sheltering more than 35,000 refugees. 

Manipur shares 390 kilometres of the total 1,634 kilometres of India's border with Myanmar and Assam Rifles are tasked to patrol the India-Myanmar borders. As Manipur has been caught into a huge internal conflict and a prolonged inaction from the governments, the state has now given a direction to deport 718 Myanmar nationals who entered its border on July 22 and 23 and to curb further entries.