Former Manipur CM welcomes strict Aadhaar norms to prevent issuance to foreigners

Imphal, July 2 (IANS) Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday appreciated the state government for adopting highly stringent norms for Aadhaar issuance to ensure that no illegal foreigners obtain the Aadhaar cards.

Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar said on Tuesday that the high-quality checks and scrutiny process ensure that no illegal foreigners are able to obtain the Aadhaar.

He said that Manipur has adopted one of the most stringent processes to issue adult Aadhaar in the country. The process is based on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), based guidelines, and the rigorous scrutiny in Manipur ensures that approval is granted only after detailed verification of Aadhaar applications.

A high-level meeting, held at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday, in which Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla reviewed the Aadhaar enrolment, up-dation, and related services in the state. Former Chief Minister Singh said that he appreciated the enhanced measures recently undertaken by the state government to strengthen and streamline the Aadhaar issuance process in Manipur.

He said that these efforts are critical to safeguarding the integrity and identity of the people of the state.

“In addition, it is equally important to remember that Manipur is a state where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is in place to regulate the entry and stay of non-residents. The Aadhaar issuance process and all related matters must always adhere to the provisions of the ILP to prevent unauthorised settlements and protect the rights of the indigenous population,” said Singh, who resigned from the CM’s post on February 9, four days before the promulgation of President’s Rule in the ethnic violence hit state.

He said that there have been cases where individuals who are not citizens of Manipur managed to reside in the state using questionable documents.

“A notable example is the case of one late Nehginpao Kipgen. He was born in Teijang, Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) in 1975, but later came to Manipur for education, went on to study in other parts of the country and abroad, and lived as an Indian citizen,” said Singh, also a senior BJP leader.

Noting that this is a classic example of how the origins of certain individuals were never seriously questioned in this part of the country, and over time, he said that they freely and covertly became citizens of India through unchecked processes.

The former Chief Minister said that in another case, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, ordered the police to carry out a detailed investigation to verify the citizenship status of a professor of Hyderabad University and his family.

“Their names appeared in the electoral records of Churachandpur for the first time in 2005, with no trace of them in earlier records. This case highlights how serious the issue is and how such entries can quietly slip into the system when proper checks are not in place,” he pointed out.

Singh observed that such lapses must not be allowed to happen going forward, and there is an urgent need for strict verification mechanisms and close coordination between Aadhaar issuing authorities, ILP enforcement agencies, and local administrative bodies to ensure that identity documents are issued only to those who are rightfully entitled.

This is not just an administrative issue but a matter of national security, the former Chief Minister said, adding that Manipur shares a porous border (398 km) with Myanmar and is close to China, making strict identity checks essential to protect the country’s safety and interests.

--IANS

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