Former Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh has flagged the State’s “existential crisis” caused by the destruction of forests for poppy plantations.
His warning preceded a petition filed by the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his attention to the impact of unchecked illegal migration from Myanmar on the State’s indigenous population.
Destruction of illegal poppy fields intensified in Manipur
The JCTM is an organisation of Nagas, the second-largest group in Manipur. Meiteis form the largest group, while the Kukis are the third-largest.
Sharing a video from a Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district on Wednesday (December 3, 2025), Mr Singh wrote on X: “This video, recorded today (December 3), shows why recurrent floods have taken place in the State. The footage shows a poppy plantation at Kolten and Selsi Hill Ranges of IT-Road under T. Waichong Sub-division in Kangpokpi district.”
