Imphal: The Manipur government has frozen the administrative boundaries of all districts, tehsils and villages in the state from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, to facilitate census operations.
In a Gazette notification issued on December 31, the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, stated: “In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (iv) of Rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to notify that the administrative boundaries of all districts, tehsils, villages, etc., in the state of Manipur shall be frozen with effect from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, to facilitate census operations.”
Manipur has sixteen districts, of which six are valley districts and ten are hill districts.
The notification came amid strong opposition from several political parties and civil society organisations.
At a recently held conclave in Imphal, representatives of 12 political parties, including the BJP, Congress, NPP, JD(U), MPP, AAP, CPI, CPI(M), DMP and Shiv Sena, opposed the proposed census and demanded its deferment until peace returns to the state.
The conclave, organised by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) on December 27, unanimously resolved to urge the Central government to defer the 2027 Census process in Manipur until a conducive and peaceful environment is restored in the state.
A sit-in protest was also staged on December 29, 2025, at Wangoo Sabal in Bishnupur district, opposing the proposed Census 2026. Demonstrators raised slogans such as “No NRC, No Census,” “NRC First, Census Next,” and “Peace and NRC First, Then Census.”
Social worker Sanjoy Ahanthem, speaking on the sidelines of the protest, said there is significant opposition and concern in Manipur regarding the upcoming Census 2026, primarily driven by fear.
He stated that the ongoing ethnic conflict, displacement and alleged presence of illegal immigrants could lead to an inaccurate population count, impacting future political representation and resource allocation.
Several groups, he added, are demanding the completion of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the restoration of peace before any census is conducted.