Tribal Council Warns of Agitation Over Census Exercise

The Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM) has demanded that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented in the state before the Census and delimitation exercises are undertaken.

In a press release issued on August 19, the tribal organisation expressed concern over what it described as the continued influx of people from across the international border and its alleged impact on the demographic composition of Manipur.

The JTCM said changes in the state’s population could have wider implications for the identity, land resources and political rights of indigenous communities. It urged the Centre and the Manipur government to take steps to establish a verified record of citizens before proceeding with population and electoral exercises.

The organisation demanded that the NRC be implemented in Manipur with 1951 as the base year. It said the exercise should be used to identify and verify bona fide citizens and detect illegal immigrants.

The JTCM also called for the Census in Manipur to be deferred until the NRC process is completed. According to the organisation, population data used for future administrative and electoral purposes should be based on a verified citizen population.

The tribal council further demanded that delimitation be carried out only after completion of the NRC. It argued that electoral representation should not be determined on the basis of demographic figures that it considers unverified or distorted.

The organisation also called for the de-recognition of settlements that have been recognised as villages without fulfilling the criteria prescribed under state law.

The JTCM maintained that the NRC, Census and delimitation exercises were closely connected and should therefore be carried out in a proper sequence. It said a verified citizenship register should form the basis for determining the state’s population before the Census and subsequent electoral delimitation.

The organisation warned that if the government proceeds with the Census despite what it described as public opposition, it would launch agitations. These could include bandhs, rallies and sit-in protests, it said.

The JTCM urged the Government of India and the Manipur government to take urgent steps to address its concerns and protect what it described as the identity, land rights and political future of the state’s indigenous people.

The demand comes amid continuing concerns and debates in Manipur over demographic changes, citizenship, land and political representation. The JTCM said completing the NRC before the Census and delimitation was necessary to ensure that future population and electoral exercises were based on verified information.