"NRC must before census"
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 3: Any fresh census exercise should not be conducted in Manipur when there is instability and thousands of people are displaced, said social worker Sanjoy Ahanthem today.
Manipur is reeling under a deep crisis since May 3, 2023, and thousands of people have been displaced to relief camps. In addition, the State is also facing issues related to boundary and illegal immigration. Census should not be conducted under such conditions, Sanjoy said, speaking to reporters.
The social worker, who contested the last State Assembly elections on a JDU ticket, said he condemns the Manipur Government's extraordinary Gazette notification which was issued yesterday, preparing ground for a fresh census.
Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 12 had approved a proposal for conducting census of India 2027 at a cost of Rs 11,718.24 crore.
The census 2027 is planned as a two-phase operation, with Houselisting from April-September 2026 and Population Enumeration (PE) in February 2027, marking the country's first digital census and first caste enumeration in decades.
Stating that the current state of the State is not conducive for any fresh census, Sanjoy said, any fresh census when thousands of the people are displaced would yield no true data.
He said there is also a directive of the Union Home Ministry for delaying census operation in a State when there is internal instability, boundary dispute and law and order issue.
There has been instability in Manipur since May 3, 2023, and the State is facing a boundary issue. Further, there is no free movement of people across the State. Meiteis aren't able to travel safely and freely on the Highways. Such conditions aren't conducive for an operation like census, he said.
Withholding or delaying census operation in States of India is not new. Jammu and Kashmir and Assam have seen delayed census operations. The 1981 census was delayed in Assam due to issues related to illegal immigration. It was conducted only in 1985, Sanjoy said.
Manipur too is facing a legitimate threat from illegal immigration. Any fresh census in Manipur is not advisable before implementing NRC (National Register of Citizens), he said.
By conducting an NRC exercise first, all illegal settlers in Manipur must be identified and deported before census exercises, he added.
In absence of a popular Government which may have taken a resolution to postpone or delay the proposed census, the public and the civil society organisations must act decisively and strongly to oppose it, he said.
IMPHAL, Jan 3: Any fresh census exercise should not be conducted in Manipur when there is instability and thousands of people are displaced, said social worker Sanjoy Ahanthem today.
Manipur is reeling under a deep crisis since May 3, 2023, and thousands of people have been displaced to relief camps. In addition, the State is also facing issues related to boundary and illegal immigration. Census should not be conducted under such conditions, Sanjoy said, speaking to reporters.
The social worker, who contested the last State Assembly elections on a JDU ticket, said he condemns the Manipur Government's extraordinary Gazette notification which was issued yesterday, preparing ground for a fresh census.
Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 12 had approved a proposal for conducting census of India 2027 at a cost of Rs 11,718.24 crore.
The census 2027 is planned as a two-phase operation, with Houselisting from April-September 2026 and Population Enumeration (PE) in February 2027, marking the country's first digital census and first caste enumeration in decades.
Stating that the current state of the State is not conducive for any fresh census, Sanjoy said, any fresh census when thousands of the people are displaced would yield no true data.
He said there is also a directive of the Union Home Ministry for delaying census operation in a State when there is internal instability, boundary dispute and law and order issue.
There has been instability in Manipur since May 3, 2023, and the State is facing a boundary issue. Further, there is no free movement of people across the State. Meiteis aren't able to travel safely and freely on the Highways. Such conditions aren't conducive for an operation like census, he said.
Withholding or delaying census operation in States of India is not new. Jammu and Kashmir and Assam have seen delayed census operations. The 1981 census was delayed in Assam due to issues related to illegal immigration. It was conducted only in 1985, Sanjoy said.
Manipur too is facing a legitimate threat from illegal immigration. Any fresh census in Manipur is not advisable before implementing NRC (National Register of Citizens), he said.
By conducting an NRC exercise first, all illegal settlers in Manipur must be identified and deported before census exercises, he added.
In absence of a popular Government which may have taken a resolution to postpone or delay the proposed census, the public and the civil society organisations must act decisively and strongly to oppose it, he said.