Discourse on census-identity correlation held
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 05 2023:
Leisem Pathou, Imphal organised one day panel discussion on 'constraints and prospects of census and religion, a holistic perspective' at Manipur Press Club, here, on Wednesday.
Speaking at the programme, Leisem Pathou founder and Modern College political science retired associate professor Dr H Indrakumar pointed out that the census exercise conducted every decade under the aegis of the Union government for recording data on rate of increase in population will also be helpful in determining changes in demog-raphv.
religion, culture and socio-economic status of the Meetei population.
The data generated through such exercise will also reflect factors for degeneration of the Meetei in different aspects, Indrakumar maintained, while adding that census and preservation of identity is correlated.
Conduct of the census operation was actually scheduled in 2021 but had to be kept in abeyance due to outbreak of Covid-19, he said and opined that the same exercise might be carried out.this year.
Highlighting the need for discussing census prior to its conduct, Indrakumar said that religion is the only way to identify and protect the identity of the people and further urged all concerned to fill up Meetei/Meitei religion as when the census enumerators approach.
There is no need to depend on others when one knows the mother language, script, culture, religion and history, he further stressed and reiterated the appeal to mention 'Meetei Religion' in the religion category in the upcoming census operation to protect religious identity.
The programme was attended by SBI retired chief associate L Birahari Meetei and social activist Rakesh Moirangthem as panellists.