Imphal: New reports claim the Indian government set aside 3.22 billion dollars for fencing and patrol tracks along the 1,643-km border with Myanmar. That is roughly 27,000 crore rupees. A report from The Diplomat on July 17 suggested officials are considering a 3.6 square kilometer territorial swap to fix an undemarcated gap between Border Pillars 65 and 68 in Chandel. The government has not confirmed any land exchange policy.
These claims revived deep-seated anxiety over Manipur's land. Residents in Tengnoupal district remember the 2018 controversy when the alignment of Border Pillar 81 sparked outrage. Locals and groups like the Communist Party of India and the Manipur People’s Task Committee claimed the move would swallow ancestral lands and forests. Villagers argued the boundary ignored historical records and traditional landmarks.
Public protests eventually forced a high-level government team to visit the site on July 25, 2018. However, locals later claimed their evidence was ignored. The Imphal Times also highlighted friction in Kamjong district, where residents reported that Myanmar security forces blocked home construction on land they considered Indian soil. Government officials maintain they adhere to the 1967 India-Myanmar Boundary Agreement. They state, "The joint verification exercise was carried out strictly under the 1967 India-Myanmar Boundary Agreement and involved only verification of existing border pillars and installation of subsidiary pillars without altering the international boundary."
Despite these assurances, mistrust lingers. Residents and civil society groups now demand full transparency. They want security, but not at the cost of the state's territory.
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