NRC first, then census : UNC
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Our Correspondent
SENAPATI, Mar 17: Enumeration of illegal immigrants through National Register of Citizens (NRC) must precede any census exercise, the United Naga Council (UNC) has stressed in a letter to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
The UNC, in its letter yesterday, cited three major reasons that must be addressed before conducting a census exercise in the State.
The looming issue of illegal immigrants requires citizenship verification, it said.
The enumeration of illegal immigrants through National Register of Citizens (NRC) to ascertain the genuine citizens must precede any census, lest, the census risks incorporating non-citizens that will vitiate demographic records and ultimately defeat the purpose of the exercise, said the UNC.
Secondly, the prevailing situation in Manipur is not conducive for an exercise like the census, it said.
The prevailing situation in Manipur is still volatile due to continued ethnic conflict and displacement. Conducting a census amid such chaos will not yield reliable data and there is a likelihood of further inflaming the tensions among communities already living in mistrust and insecurity, said the UNC.
Further, the demand for rollback of districts created in 2016 has remained unaddressed, it said.
The pending district rollback issue is a matter of great concern involving public sentiment for the Nagas. Conducting census operations therein would entrench contested jurisdictions and cause social upheaval, said the UNC.
"Given these circumstances, proceeding with the census would be procedurally infirm and contrary to the very purpose of its exercise," UNC said, urging the Chief Minister to delay the census until favourable conditions are ensured in public interest.
SENAPATI, Mar 17: Enumeration of illegal immigrants through National Register of Citizens (NRC) must precede any census exercise, the United Naga Council (UNC) has stressed in a letter to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
The UNC, in its letter yesterday, cited three major reasons that must be addressed before conducting a census exercise in the State.
The looming issue of illegal immigrants requires citizenship verification, it said.
The enumeration of illegal immigrants through National Register of Citizens (NRC) to ascertain the genuine citizens must precede any census, lest, the census risks incorporating non-citizens that will vitiate demographic records and ultimately defeat the purpose of the exercise, said the UNC.
Secondly, the prevailing situation in Manipur is not conducive for an exercise like the census, it said.
The prevailing situation in Manipur is still volatile due to continued ethnic conflict and displacement. Conducting a census amid such chaos will not yield reliable data and there is a likelihood of further inflaming the tensions among communities already living in mistrust and insecurity, said the UNC.
Further, the demand for rollback of districts created in 2016 has remained unaddressed, it said.
The pending district rollback issue is a matter of great concern involving public sentiment for the Nagas. Conducting census operations therein would entrench contested jurisdictions and cause social upheaval, said the UNC.
"Given these circumstances, proceeding with the census would be procedurally infirm and contrary to the very purpose of its exercise," UNC said, urging the Chief Minister to delay the census until favourable conditions are ensured in public interest.