Imphal: Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that the state government has already informed the Central Government of its willingness to conduct a National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the state within the constitutional and legal framework.
Govindas Konthoujam was speaking at a two-day Consultative Meeting-cum-Seminar on the Demographic Profile of Manipur, jointly organised by the Home Department, Government of Manipur, and the Manipur State Population Commission at the Imperial Hall, Classic Grande, Imphal, on August 7.
He informed the gathering that a High-Level Committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has been constituted to study demographic changes in the country. He further stated that although there may be political or ideological differences, people should come together in the larger public interest and work towards resolving issues faced by the indigenous people of the state.
The Manipur Home Minister’s statement came amid protests and agitations by civil society groups and local bodies demanding an immediate update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state before any national Census or delimitation exercises begin.
Protesters argue that identifying undocumented immigrants is essential to protecting indigenous rights and demographic integrity.
Groups including the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) and 14 CSOs Kangleipak have insisted that population enumeration should be deferred until illegal immigrants are identified and filtered out.
Protesters maintain that internally displaced persons (IDPs) must first be safely rehabilitated in their home villages before any administrative population counts are conducted. Local leaders and Members of Parliament have formally petitioned the Union Home Ministry to set up Foreigners Tribunals and delay census operations in the state until a citizen database is verified.
Coalition groups have issued deadlines for the state administration to hold comprehensive public consultations on the NRC framework, threatening intensified state-wide bandhs and democratic agitations.
The 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Kangleipak, accusing the state government of complete indifference, have threatened a total statewide shutdown beginning at midnight on August 9. Civil society groups in Manipur are demanding the implementation of the NRC before the upcoming national Census process.
The convenor of the 14 CSOs, Nahakpam Shanta, said that the Manipur Legislative Assembly had adopted resolutions on August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024, to establish a State Population Commission and update the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Despite earlier assurances from the government to host an expert seminar on the NRC in early August, no official notice has been issued yet.
The CSOs have set an August 8 deadline for the state administration to organise the promised workshop involving legal and NRC experts. Leaders warned that conducting the upcoming national Census before updating the NRC could risk legalising illegal immigrants as Indian citizens.