Manipur Groups Demand NRC Before 2027 Census

Imphal: Fourteen civil society groups in Manipur want a federal deal to fix the state citizenship list. They are pushing for a tripartite pact with the state and center to start the National Register of Citizens using 1951 as the benchmark. They want illegal migrants out before the next census begins.

Shanta Nahakpam, the convenor for the group, blames the current ethnic violence on mass migration across the border with Myanmar. He said, "The prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur was rooted in demographic changes caused by illegal immigration across the porous India-Myanmar border." He points to suspicious population spikes in Chandel and Senapati districts since 1981 as proof of the problem.

The groups met with officials in New Delhi to air their grievances. They talked to Registrar General Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The demand is simple. Update the registry before the census starts and hold off on all district boundary changes until the work is done.

They also want a seat at the table. The groups requested that a representative from the Manipur Population Commission join the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes. They believe this cooperation is the only way to ensure accurate data.