Manipur census training deferred as NRC demand protests escalate

The Manipur government has postponed a census training programme in Imphal West district, originally scheduled for August 28, citing the prevailing law-and-order situation. A similar training was also scrapped in Thoubal district. The deferral comes amid protests led by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation, which demands that the National Register of Citizens be updated before the Census 2027 exercise.

Protesters have blocked roads, burnt effigies of politicians, and called for a boycott of government offices. They argue that counting displaced residents in relief camps would produce an inaccurate database. The Congress party has also demanded a postponement, with MP A Bimol Akoijam stating that around 60,000 people remain homeless due to the ethnic violence that began in May 2023.

However, the Kuki-Zo Council has opposed the NRC-before-Census demand, calling it premature and unjustified. In a statement, the council said the NRC is a national exercise under central government authority and that an impartial Census is needed to establish facts. The council also cited the complexities and legal challenges of the Assam NRC exercise. Chief Minister Y Khemchand has assured student representatives that the government will discuss NRC implementation in the Assembly session starting September 2.