Revealing Inconsistencies
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 17 2015 -
The recent revelation that the Government of Manipur and the Directorate of Census Operations (DCO), Manipur under Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs do not know under whose authority, the National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951 was prepared may indeed create further problems for the State Government.
For those who had been closely observing the unfolding of the Inner Line Permit System movement in the State, it was an eye opener. And the same goes true for State authorities who had framed the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Land revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) 2015 Bill.
Since the Government of Manipur had invoked the National Register of Citizens, 1951 while defining the people of Manipur in Section 2 (b) of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the revelation based on the Right to Information (RTI) reply, comes as an embarrassment for a government intending to protect the indigenous people of the State.
The RTI applicant had rightly remarked that the existence of the National Register of Citizens, 1951 is crucial to the validity of at least the Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly.
If at all there is a choice, the State Government would be compelled to literally dig out records to verify whether the National Register of Citizens, 1951 really existed or not.
Whether the State Government has misled the House or not while passing the bills in the Assembly is a matter of debate.
The State Government should now note that the Joint Secretary (Home) and Directorate of Census Operations Assistant Director had gone on record on the matter.
While the Home Department said it “does maintain the records of census”, Directorate of Census Operations Assistant Director had stated that the office was not aware about the authority that prepared the National Register of Citizens, 1951.
If the State Government chooses to ignore the revelation, it will be a cause for celebration to those who have opposed the Bills.
The latest revelation could be read as minor or major hiccup depending on how one takes the seriousness of possessing documents pertaining to key policy related issues.
With the kind of attention given, the State Government should be ready to do some explaining or choose to ignore it at one’s own peril.
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