Public meeting reaffirms stand against census
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 29: A public meeting at Tangkham Awang Leikai Kalika Lairembi Sganglen today has reaffirmed demand for postponement of any new census exercises.
The public meeting, organised under the aegis of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation, resolved that census exercises must be postponed and held after the Manipur conflict is resolved and an NRC like exercise is conducted to identify illegal immigrants.
Speaking at the meeting, CJFD's finance secretary, Sunil Karam, said the public demand for postponement of census has gained momentum but the Central Government has not yet heard and acted on the aspirations and demand of the people regarding census.
Ignoring the aspirations of the people, the Central Government wants to go ahead and conduct the census after an Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is conducted. But, the people can never agree and allow this proposed census exercise to be conducted before identifying illegal immigrants settling in Manipur, he said.
The SIR can't identify illegal immigrants and outsiders. If the census is conducted without identifying the illegal settlers first, it would include them as citizens, Sunil said.
Unless an exercise is conducted first to identify and deport illegal immigrants, census must never be held in Manipur, he said.
Sunil further asserted that the situation in Manipur is not conducive for any census related exercises.
It will not be feasible for houselisting exercises to be conducted as a part of the census when hundreds of houses have been burnt down and destroyed, and thousands of people are displaced and staying in relief camps, he said.
Conducting the census forcibly against the will of the people may invite massive protests and trouble for the Government.
The State Government, Ministers and MLAs must understand the aspirations of the people and act responsibly to postpone the census, he said.
IMPHAL, Mar 29: A public meeting at Tangkham Awang Leikai Kalika Lairembi Sganglen today has reaffirmed demand for postponement of any new census exercises.
The public meeting, organised under the aegis of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation, resolved that census exercises must be postponed and held after the Manipur conflict is resolved and an NRC like exercise is conducted to identify illegal immigrants.
Speaking at the meeting, CJFD's finance secretary, Sunil Karam, said the public demand for postponement of census has gained momentum but the Central Government has not yet heard and acted on the aspirations and demand of the people regarding census.
Ignoring the aspirations of the people, the Central Government wants to go ahead and conduct the census after an Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is conducted. But, the people can never agree and allow this proposed census exercise to be conducted before identifying illegal immigrants settling in Manipur, he said.
The SIR can't identify illegal immigrants and outsiders. If the census is conducted without identifying the illegal settlers first, it would include them as citizens, Sunil said.
Unless an exercise is conducted first to identify and deport illegal immigrants, census must never be held in Manipur, he said.
Sunil further asserted that the situation in Manipur is not conducive for any census related exercises.
It will not be feasible for houselisting exercises to be conducted as a part of the census when hundreds of houses have been burnt down and destroyed, and thousands of people are displaced and staying in relief camps, he said.
Conducting the census forcibly against the will of the people may invite massive protests and trouble for the Government.
The State Government, Ministers and MLAs must understand the aspirations of the people and act responsibly to postpone the census, he said.