Imphal: Residents and village chiefs in Manipur’s Chandel district on Monday held protest rallies in Khengjang and Molcham villages against proposed changes to the Indo-Myanmar border alignment and demarcation.
The demonstrations were organised by the Affected Border Area Kuki Chiefs, who opposed any alteration involving boundary pillars 65 to 68. Protesters said they would not surrender any part of their ancestral land to the proposed changes.
The protests in the remote border areas followed administrative directions issued after a May 11, 2026 meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to the protesters, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed that the border demarcation process be completed within three months. The proposed exercise includes shifting and realigning several boundary markers in the Khengjoi sector of Chandel district.
The affected markers include BP No. 65 at Molcham, BP No. 66 at Jangngoulen, BP No. 67 at Khumkot and BP No. 68 at Joldam.
Local village chiefs have opposed the proposed changes, claiming that the alignment plan does not reflect the ground situation or historical boundaries recognised by communities living in the area.
The protesters said the disputed areas include ancestral homes, jhum cultivation sites, wet-rice fields, community land and traditional burial grounds. They argued that these lands have cultural and historical significance for the local Kuki-Zo communities.
The Affected Border Area Kuki Chiefs have rejected the proposed realignment and said the existing ground positions should remain the basis for any border demarcation exercise. The group has also received support from regional bodies, including the Kuki Inpi Chandel.
Protesters described the proposed changes as a unilateral administrative decision and called for greater consideration of the concerns of communities living along the border.
They reiterated that they would oppose any move to alter the existing alignment or take over land that they consider part of their traditional territory.