Postpone Census to first hold tripartite talks on NRC, citizenship issues: Manipur civil society groups

A coalition of civil society organisations in Manipur has called for the postponement of the Census to allow the Union government, the Manipur government, and representatives from various communities to engage in comprehensive discussions about citizenship issues. The groups argue that addressing concerns related to illegal immigration and citizenship must come before conducting the Census to ensure widespread acceptance of the process across the state.

They have been in talks with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi. The delegation insists that the Census should be based on the 1951 base year, as it was for the first post-independence Census in Manipur, and that records from before the state's merger with India in 1949 should be the most reliable source for identifying "original Indian citizens."

The groups also cite demographic changes over the past decades, which have raised questions about population growth and the proliferation of villages. They argue that the current situation, including internal displacement, movement restrictions, and ongoing ethnic tensions, makes a credible Census exercise challenging. The first phase of the 2027 Census, including house listing and housing census, is planned for September 1-30, but preparations have been halted due to protests by civil society groups and opposition from local organisations.