Imphal: Fourteen civil society organisations from Manipur have urged the Central Government to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state before the completion of the ongoing Census 2027 exercise, arguing that the move is necessary to address concerns over demographic changes and alleged illegal immigration.
A delegation representing the organisations visited New Delhi between July 5 and 7, where it met Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and two senior officials of the Union Home Ministry to press its demands.
In a statement issued after the meetings, the organisations urged the Centre to notify the NRC update in Manipur before the Census 2027 exercise is completed in the state or to conduct both processes simultaneously.
They also sought withholding the final Census 2027 population figures for Manipur until the NRC exercise is completed and urged the Centre not to undertake the delimitation of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies before the process is concluded.
The delegation argued that decades of cross-border migration from Myanmar have altered Manipur’s demographic profile and requested the Union Home Ministry’s High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes to prioritise an inquiry into the issue.
The organisations also referred to resolutions passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly and communications sent by the state government to the Centre in January 2023 seeking implementation of the NRC in the state.
While welcoming the Census 2027 exercise, the groups said it should not be completed in Manipur without first addressing what they described as longstanding concerns over the accuracy of census figures in certain hill districts, arguing that the data could influence future delimitation.
The delegation further urged the Centre to include a representative from a proposed Manipur Population Commission in the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes and expedite its inquiry into the state’s demographic concerns.
The demand for an NRC update in Manipur has gained momentum among several Meitei civil society organisations since ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023. These groups contend that unchecked illegal immigration from Myanmar has contributed to demographic changes in Manipur.
Kuki-Zo organisations, however, dispute this claim, maintaining that the conflict stems from political and constitutional issues rather than migration.