CJFD reiterates call to defer census

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 16: The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (CJFD) has reiterated its call to defer census exercise in Manipur until and unless all illegal immigrants are identified and repatriated through implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism.
As a part of its series of public consultations on the scheduled census exercise, CJFD held a public meeting at Sugnu Bazar, Kakching district today in association with the Sugnu Apunba Meira Paibi Lup.
Speaking at the public meeting, CJFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba asserted that no census operation must be carried out in Manipur until and unless all the non-local people who came to Manipur after 1951 are identified, and NRC or a similar mechanism is implemented.
The people of Manipur have no objection to any census exercise if it is done in a just and fair manner, he said.
Jeetendra recalled that abnormal population growth was detected in nine sub-divisions of hill districts during the census exercise of 2001.
He highlighted the need to check abnormal population growth in Kuki inhabited areas.
As per the 2001 census data, in some hill areas, a woman gave birth to as many as 15 children in a year. Investigation revealed that this abnormally high population growth was caused by unlawful settlement of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, the CJFD convenor said.
Following military coups and political unrest in Myanmar, waves after waves of Kuki people came to Manipur and settled in the State unlawfully, he said.
Jeetendra asserted that Kuki is not recognised by the Myanmar junta nor it is included in the list of 135 communities recognised by the Government of Myanmar.
Between 1950 and 1969, there were only 179 Kuki villages in the kangpokpi but it jumped to 575 in 2011. An investigation carried out by the Government found around 900 such new  Kuki villages, he said.
Jeetendra said that census operations can be deferred as per Indian laws if any region is affected by natural disaster or large-scale violence.
Given the current situation of Manipur, the scheduled census operation must be deferred in the State, he said.
If the Government of India chooses to go ahead with the census operations forcibly, the Government of India must be held accountable for all the untoward incidents resulting thereof, he added.
CJFD Finance Secretary Sunil Karam said that the new State Government, its Ministers, MLAs and all political parties must take a collective decision and ask the Centre in one voice not to go ahead with the census operation until all illegal immigrants are identified.
He asserted that conducting census operations under the prevailing situation of Manipur lacks rationale.
Even though several memoranda have been submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to conduct census operations only after identifying illegal immigrants through implementation of NRC or a similar mechanism, the Governor has been acting totally indifferent, Sunil decried.
If the indigenous people are not careful and vigilant enough regarding the scheduled census operations, illegal immigrants and non-local people will become citizens of the country, and they will wrest political power by contesting elections, he warned.