Manipur BJP MLA raises alarm over infiltration, land encroachment in Zeliangrong areas

Imphal: Dinganglung Gangmei, a Manipur BJP MLA elected from the 54-Nungba (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly Constituency in the northwestern part of Manipur, has raised concern over the growing issue of infiltration and land encroachment.

Gangmei, a retired IAS officer, in a statement posted on Facebook, said, "Our concern now is the growing issue of infiltration and land encroachment in our areas where the Zeliangrong people reside, particularly in Manipur. New villages are sprouting up along the highway, and outsiders are claiming ancestral land rights."

The Zeliangrong community has expressed concern over land encroachment and related issues. Gangmei is a member of the Zeliangrong Naga community in Manipur.

He continued, "The silence of our community on this issue has been seen as detrimental to our collective well-being. It's time for the present generation to stand up and assert our rights, protecting our land and heritage. This issue demands attention and collective action to preserve our community's future."

Gangmei's statement came five days after the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), an underground group currently in peace talks with the government, had launched its fourth operation against illegal poppy cultivation in Kangpokpi district on November 21, 2025.

The ZUF intercepted poppy cultivators, many of whom did not speak the Manipuri language, prompting questions about their identity and origin.

The ZUF, in a statement, stated that their inability to speak the lingua franca and official language of the State has unmistakably exposed their identity as "foreign refugees and illegal intruders" engaged in illicit drug cultivation on their ancestral land.

The operation was carried out in Pongringlong (Charoipandongba), Saitu Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district.