Imphal: The Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) has expressed in-principle support for implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, while insisting that the exercise should be conducted solely by the Government of India.
In a statement, the alliance said it had “no objection” to a process aimed at identifying citizens, but opposed making the NRC a prerequisite for conducting the regular Census. According to the KPA, the Census is a statutory exercise and postponing it until completion of an NRC could run contrary to constitutional and legal provisions.
The alliance said any citizenship verification process must be carried out in accordance with the Constitution, the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
It also rejected the use of what it described as arbitrary or state-specific cut-off dates, including 1951 and 1961, arguing that the process should follow the existing legal framework rather than rely on alternative criteria.
The KPA further called for both the Census and NRC exercises to be administered directly by the Centre through the Registrar General of India. It cited the prevailing lack of trust between Manipur’s hill and valley communities as a reason for keeping the state government and its agencies out of the process.
The alliance said involvement of state authorities could raise concerns over impartiality and undermine confidence in the exercise.
The NRC traces its origins to the 1951 Census and was later provided for an update through amendments to the citizenship rules in 2003. Its broader objective is to establish a record of Indian citizens and distinguish them from those who are not legally entitled to citizenship.
The KPA’s position comes amid renewed demands for an NRC in Manipur, including calls from sections of the Meitei community for its immediate implementation. The Kuki alliance, however, has stressed that any such exercise must be transparent, legally grounded and centrally administered to ensure credibility among communities affected by the ongoing conflict.