Manipur Census: Why Centre Deferred Enumeration Exercise In Violence-Hit State? Explained

The Union Government on Monday deferred the Census operations in Manipur after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to assess the current situation in the state.

The meeting was attended by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and other senior officials.

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Why Was The Exercise Deferred

The decision came after detailed discussions on demands raised by the people of Manipur to defer the Census exercise in the state until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Secretariat, the meeting agreed to postpone the proposed exercise considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur.

CM Expresses Gratitude To Central Leadership And CSOs

Following the meeting, CM Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other central leaders for listening to the voices of the people and fulfilling their aspirations.

Additionally, the Chief Minister commended the efforts of leaders of 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the delegation of BJP MLAs who recently campaigned in New Delhi for the implementation of the NRC in Manipur. He noted that their regular engagement with central leaders played a major role in reaching today's decision.

Protests Over NRC Demand

Earlier this month, widespread protests erupted in Manipur, with demonstrators demanding the implementation of the NRC before conducting the Census. Protesters stated that an NRC exercise should be completed before the Census to identify people they allege are illegal immigrants. They argued that conducting the Census first could make it difficult to distinguish between long-term residents, indigenous populations, and people who entered the state illegally from neighbouring countries.

The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 in Manipur began on August 17, with the main house-listing exercise scheduled to take place from September 1 to September 30.

(With Inputs From PTI)