Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: The Ministry of Home Affairs officially deferred house-listing operations for the 2027 Census in Manipur. Registrar General Mritunjay Kumar Narayan issued the notification on September 5 under the Census Act of 1948. The order amends a previous January 7, 2026, mandate. No new start date exists. This move follows ongoing ethnic tensions and intense pressure from civil society groups.
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) responded with fresh demands. During a September 5 press conference in Imphal East, convenor Jeetendra Ningombam insisted that the state update the National Register of Citizens using 1951 as the base year. They want this completed before any census activity begins. The JFD urged the state government to send a delegation, led by the Chief Minister and Home Minister, to New Delhi to lock in this deadline by September 2026. The group also requested a white paper on the process and the full reconstitution of the State Population Commission.
Protests are building. The JFD scheduled a public campaign for September 6 between 7 pm and 8 pm. Supporters will chant slogans including "NO NRC, NO CENSUS" and "NRC Base Year 1951". On September 7, the group plans to gather at the Citizens Club in Soibam Leikai, Wangkhei Khunou, at 11 am to pressure the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly. They want the government to table the official census deferment order and adopt a clear stance on the base year issue.
Separately, a coalition of 14 civil society organizations is pushing for a unified front. IPR Sub-Committee convenor H. Babulu defended the group's outreach to central leaders. He dismissed claims of political bias and reaffirmed the group's mission. He stated, "The ongoing movement was a people's movement aimed at protecting the identity and rights of the indigenous population." The coalition intends to continue using legal and diplomatic channels to force the government's hand.
Updated at 6th September 2026 at 1:48am
State leadership greeted the news with relief. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh called the move a welcome and consequential decision, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for acknowledging the state's internal concerns. He emphasized that the state government remains focused on local stability and the interests of its people.
Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh echoed this sentiment. He praised the central leadership for listening to the pulse of the public and prioritizing the concerns surrounding the census, labeling the official Gazette notification a significant development for the people of Manipur.
Updated at 6th September 2026 at 1:49pm
Beyond the JFD protests, women vendors at the Khwairamband Ima Market joined the fray on September 6. They warned the state to treat the NRC issue with sincerity rather than political theater. Vendor Asem Nirmala lashed out at the failure of both national political parties to provide tangible results, noting that while the Assembly has passed two resolutions on NRC updation, officials have yet to outline a timeline for implementation. The group is demanding the State Population Commission, which has sat idle since its 2022 inception, get to work.
A coalition of 14 civil society groups is also mobilizing for a September 7 seminar. Convenor Shanta Nahakpam stated they are bringing together over 26 organizations from various communities to cross-reference documents and build a unified strategy. They aim to push past simple resolutions and force the government to explain how it plans to protect the indigenous population from demographic shifts and unauthorized village growth.
Updated at 6th September 2026 at 2:00pm
Legal backing for the census deferment arrived via Sections 3 and 17A of the Census Act, 1948, and Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990. The formal notification came following a high-level meeting in New Delhi held on August 31.
Asem Nirmala, representing the Khwairamband Ima Market vendors, highlighted that the Assembly has passed resolutions on the NRC in both 2022 and 2024, yet those calls stalled. She criticized national political parties for their hypocrisy, pointing to how BJP leaders champion the NRC in West Bengal while failing to deliver on the ground in Manipur.
As the Assembly session concludes, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has demanded that the legislative body explicitly insert 1951 as the base year into its existing NRC resolution. The group is now calling for a formal state population policy to combat demographic shifts and unauthorized village growth.
The coalition of 14 civil society groups is expanding its reach, incorporating over 26 organizations for a September 7 seminar to aggregate historical documents and harden their strategy against the government. They plan to assess whether the legislature's recent actions meet the public demand for a definitive timeline on NRC implementation.
Updated at 6th September 2026 at 10:06pm
While state leadership cheered the deferment, critics remain focused on the legislative process. The JFD clarified that the recent Assembly resolution reaffirmed 2022 and 2024 positions but pointedly failed to define a baseline. The group’s task force plans a strategy session to evaluate whether the Assembly's final outcomes offer any real teeth or just more stalling.
Vendors at Khwairamband Ima Market escalated their rhetoric on September 6, labeling the NRC issue a victim of political gamesmanship. Asem Nirmala took aim at the legislative disconnect, noting that while the Assembly keeps passing resolutions, it has yet to hold a detailed session on the mechanics of enforcement. She pushed for the immediate activation of the 2022 State Population Commission to address demographic shifts and the rise of unauthorized settlements.
The coalition of 14 CSOs is moving to aggregate historical documentation through their upcoming seminar. By pulling in over 26 organizations, they aim to create a unified database to force the government’s hand on the 1951 baseline demand. Shanta Nahakpam stated, "The meeting would seek to bring greater clarity to the issue and help the participating organisations work towards a set of common objectives."
Updated at 7th September 2026 at 1:48am
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) hit back on Sunday, slamming the recently concluded 8th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly. The group claims the assembly ignored atrocities against the Kuki-Zo community and pushed a deeply partisan agenda. KIM noted that it had ordered Kuki-Zo legislators to boycott the proceedings to avoid creating a false sense of normalcy.
KIM cited the May 13 ambush of three Kuki-Zo Christian church leaders near Saheibung as a primary example of unchecked violence, alleging the state has failed to provide any accountability. The organization further alleged that the government continues to block supply routes and essential commodities to Kuki-Zo regions.
Calling the Imphal-centric administration a failure, KIM declared the administrative and physical divide in the state irreversible. They are now officially pushing the Union Government to grant a separate administration and a union territory with its own legislature. They describe this as an existential necessity to protect Kuki-Zo land and ensure basic survival under Article 21.
Updated at 7th September 2026 at 5:50pm
During the Assembly session on September 7, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam revealed that 24,475 undocumented Myanmar nationals have been detected in the state. Of those identified, 14,992 were pushed back across the border. The remaining 9,483 individuals are currently held in temporary shelters across the border districts of Chandel, Kamjong, and Tengnoupal. Officials have begun biometric profiling in these camps, though security concerns in the border region have slowed the process.
Konthoujam confirmed that the government has directed deputy commissioners to keep these individuals segregated from local populations. In Kamjong, detected immigrants are housed in facilities including Namli, Wanglee, Kaka, Zoro, Iko, Skipi, Huimin Thana, and Phaikoh. In Tengnoupal, 3,546 individuals are stationed near Sadang. In Chandel, they remain in various locations such as Molcham, Gamphajol, and Kheljang. The minister noted that the state is actively tracing original 1951 NRC records to support the House resolution.
Regarding the May 7 attack on border villages in Kamjong, Konthoujam reported that 23 houses were destroyed in Z Choro, Namlee, and Wanglee, resulting in property losses exceeding Rs 5 crore. While the government has begun reconstruction and provided relief, the minister stated it is premature to definitively link the KNF(B) rebel group to the arson while the probe remains open. He confirmed one villager was injured during the incident.
The government also clarified the administrative framework regarding undocumented entries. A 12-member committee led by Awangbow Newmai, established in August 2024, is currently reviewing the Action Taken Report. This follows an earlier executive committee formed in March 2023 under Commissioner S. Chourasia, which had its verification efforts stalled by the outbreak of violence in May of that year.
Updated at 7th September 2026 at 9:50pm
During the Assembly session on September 7, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam explicitly stated the state will use 1951 as the base year for NRC updates. The minister emphasized a cautious approach, aiming to avoid the legal and public access failures that stalled the Assam NRC process. Officials are currently hunting for original physical records to present to the Union Government.
New data clarifies the scale of the immigration enforcement. In Chandel district, 9,600 of the 14,370 detected individuals have been pushed back, with 1,308 currently undergoing biometric profiling. In Tengnoupal, only 14 of the 3,560 identified have been removed, leaving the vast majority under local monitoring. The Home Minister also specified that the Rs 8.4 crore damage estimate from the May 7 Kamjong border village attacks relates to the destruction of 23 homes and injuries to one villager, explicitly ruling out external state aggression in that specific incident.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 1:51pm
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) is turning up the heat. Following Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam's comments in the Assembly, the group set a September 10 deadline for the state to secure a formal commitment from New Delhi. If the government fails to lock in a timeline for an NRC update using 1951 as the base year, the JFD plans to launch a strike on September 11 that will empty State and Central government offices. Essential services like hospitals, fire departments, and utilities are currently exempt from the planned shutdown.
Protests continue to spread across the region. Supporters took to the water at Loktak Lake for a boat rally involving multiple local organizations. In Thoubal, residents flooded the streets for night-time torch rallies, blocking roads to demand the legislature formalize their stance on the 1951 baseline. JFD leadership warned that until they see a concrete plan, they will continue to boycott census-related house-listing and population counting.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 10:15pm
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba solidified the group's stance during a public meeting at New Checkon, urging the government to treat the 1951 base year not just as an Assembly resolution, but as a non-negotiable prerequisite for any census activity. Senior citizen activist Longjam Nilamani joined the chorus, citing growing pressure on village land and resources as evidence that the demographic situation has reached a breaking point.
Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam provided specific figures on the state's crackdown on illegal influxes. The total of 24,475 identified migrants breaks down to 6,545 in Kamjong, 3,560 in Tengnoupal, and 14,370 in Chandel. While 14,992 have been pushed back, the remaining individuals are concentrated in specific border settlements including Khangtung, L. Nampao, Yaingol, Bongjang, and New Lajang in Chandel district, where they remain under local monitoring. The Home Minister emphasized that the state government is actively searching for original, physical 1951 records to provide a solid evidentiary base when it lobbies the Union Government for approval.
Comments