Convention resolves to oppose census exercise
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IMPHAL, May 30: A public convention held yesterday at Manipur University under the aegis of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (CJFD) has resolved to oppose census operations in Manipur until all displaced persons are resettled at their respective places.
Notably, the widespread violence which erupted on May 3, 2023 has resulted in the death of hundreds of people, injuries to thousands and displacement of around 60,000 people.
Thousands of houses were either reduced to ashes or severely damaged.
The public convention presided over by CJFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba was moderated by former MU Students’ Welfare Dean Prof W Nabakumar.
The convention adopted several resolutions and the first one categorically said no to the house listing work scheduled to begin from August 16 and population enumeration scheduled from February 1 next year until the NRC is updated and IDPs are resettled.
The second resolution says that more intensive mass protest will be launched and all works related to census operations will be boycotted if the Central and State Government overlook the public concern and choose to go ahead with the scheduled census operations forcibly.
Carrying on different forms of protest movement until the NRC is updated was another resolution adopted at the convention.
The convention was participated by representatives of several CSOs, student organisations and intellectuals.
Giving the keynote address of the convention, CJFD secretary (organisation) Longjam Ratankumar said that the demand for identification and deportation of illegal immigrants is not anything new in Manipur.
There was a strong students’ movement for identification of illegal immigrants in the 1980’s and this was followed by the ILPS movement, Ratankumar said.
Sensing the possibility of carrying out census operations followed by delimitation amid the widespread unrest and violence, CJFD was set up on April 8, 2025.
Since then, CJFD has been undertaking a mobilisation campaign against the planned census operations, he said.
So far, four mega public meetings and over 100 local level public meetings have been organised, he added.
The CJFD’s position is firm and very clear–– NRC should be updated and illegal immigrants should be identified before any census operations, Ratankumar asserted.
The mass movement for NRC went on during the PR administration too.
After a popular Government was installed, the CJFD took the issue to the Chief Minister and the CM replied that a committee will be formed and a seminar on NRC will be organised.
In the meantime, the CJFD submitted a memorandum on the same issue to the President, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Registrar General of India on May 19.
But the only reply CJFD has received so far is the deferment of the house listing work from April 1 to mid-August, Ratankumar said.
He pointed out that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process based on the electoral rolls and it does not address the concerns of CJFD and the people of Manipur.
People under 18 years do not figure in the SIR process and there is no provision for identification of illegal immigrants. There is no connection between SIR and updation of NRC or census operations, he added.
Notably, the widespread violence which erupted on May 3, 2023 has resulted in the death of hundreds of people, injuries to thousands and displacement of around 60,000 people.
Thousands of houses were either reduced to ashes or severely damaged.
The public convention presided over by CJFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba was moderated by former MU Students’ Welfare Dean Prof W Nabakumar.
The convention adopted several resolutions and the first one categorically said no to the house listing work scheduled to begin from August 16 and population enumeration scheduled from February 1 next year until the NRC is updated and IDPs are resettled.
The second resolution says that more intensive mass protest will be launched and all works related to census operations will be boycotted if the Central and State Government overlook the public concern and choose to go ahead with the scheduled census operations forcibly.
Carrying on different forms of protest movement until the NRC is updated was another resolution adopted at the convention.
The convention was participated by representatives of several CSOs, student organisations and intellectuals.
Giving the keynote address of the convention, CJFD secretary (organisation) Longjam Ratankumar said that the demand for identification and deportation of illegal immigrants is not anything new in Manipur.
There was a strong students’ movement for identification of illegal immigrants in the 1980’s and this was followed by the ILPS movement, Ratankumar said.
Sensing the possibility of carrying out census operations followed by delimitation amid the widespread unrest and violence, CJFD was set up on April 8, 2025.
Since then, CJFD has been undertaking a mobilisation campaign against the planned census operations, he said.
So far, four mega public meetings and over 100 local level public meetings have been organised, he added.
The CJFD’s position is firm and very clear–– NRC should be updated and illegal immigrants should be identified before any census operations, Ratankumar asserted.
The mass movement for NRC went on during the PR administration too.
After a popular Government was installed, the CJFD took the issue to the Chief Minister and the CM replied that a committee will be formed and a seminar on NRC will be organised.
In the meantime, the CJFD submitted a memorandum on the same issue to the President, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Registrar General of India on May 19.
But the only reply CJFD has received so far is the deferment of the house listing work from April 1 to mid-August, Ratankumar said.
He pointed out that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process based on the electoral rolls and it does not address the concerns of CJFD and the people of Manipur.
People under 18 years do not figure in the SIR process and there is no provision for identification of illegal immigrants. There is no connection between SIR and updation of NRC or census operations, he added.