Imphal: Twenty-four civil society groups are pushing for an update to the National Register of Citizens before the state conducts a Census. The coalition set an August 6 deadline for the government to act. They want a clear guarantee that the register will be updated to identify illegal immigrants. If the government stays silent, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation plans to start a series of stronger agitations across the state.
K.C. Romiyo, president of the Manipur Peace and Integrity Council, held a press meet Wednesday at the CADA head office. He warned that the House Listing and Housing Census, slated for August 17, would count illegal migrants as residents. He argued this creates long-term demographic risks. Romiyo pointed to Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, which allows for delays during times of civil unrest.
Conditions in Manipur remain volatile. Many internally displaced persons have not returned home. Movement between districts and on highways is restricted. The groups argue that accurate data gathering is impossible under these conditions.
JFD Convenor Jeetendra Ningomba echoed these concerns at a public event in Thoubal Keithel. He told the crowd that the government must protect the rights of indigenous people. “If no response is received from the government within the stipulated period, the JFD will announce the next course of democratic agitation,” Ningomba said.
The JFD claims the current conflict involves armed groups who entered from across the international border to grow poppies and fund attacks. They want the Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution urging the Centre to prioritize the NRC. The groups contend that failing to screen the population first will permanently alter the electoral and demographic makeup of the state.
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