Imphal, Sept. 25: Three organisations of Assam and Manipur have come together to take up the matter of protection of the indigenous people of the Northeast from foreigners.

Representatives of the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, Assam Meitei Apunba Lup and the Coalition for Indigenous Rights Campaign, Manipur, a citizen's organisation, met here today and resolved to join hands on the matter.

"Considering the impact of illegal migration on the social, economic and political rights of indigenes in the region, it is resolved to face the problem collectively by bringing together all the indigenes of the region under one umbrella," the resolution said.

The meeting also decided to jointly organise a "people's parliament" of all indigenous communities and ethnic groups of the region here in November to resolve the issues through a collective and unified effort.

Sanmilita Mahasangha working president Matiur Rahman told reporters that the indigenous organisations need to unite to protect the indigenous people of the region from illegal migration that poses a "grave danger" to the Northeast and from the "silent aggression" of foreigners. "If all the seven states fight unitedly, nothing is impossible," he said.

He said the Supreme Court in a ruling in 2005 had declared the problem of illegal migrants a "silent aggression".

He also said a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, acting on a petition filed by the Mahasangha seeking protection of the indigenous people of Assam, had referred the matter to a Constitution bench in December last year. He expressed unhappiness that even nine months after the ruling, the Constitution bench was yet to be constituted.

Rahman cautioned that the ongoing update of the National Register of Citizenship in Assam with 1971 as the cut-off year might be extended to other states of the region. Sources said the Mahasangha wants 1951 to be the base year.

He said foreigners had occupied land in the plains and hills of Assam and indigenous people were becoming minorities in their own land.

Rahman also opposed the Narendra Modi government's decision to allow migrants who were in minority in Bangladesh and Pakistan and who entered India before December 31, 2014 to stay on without valid documents.

Ningthouja Lancha, spokesperson for the Coalition for Indigenes Rights Campaign, Manipur, said the resolutions were adopted after two days of deliberations since yesterday.

Wangkhem Saratchandra, president of the Assam Meitei Apunba Lup, and Somorendro Thokchom, convener of the Coalition for Indigenes Rights Campaign, were present at the news meet.