Growing clamour for NRC in state
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 24, 2025 -

WHILE it's the prerogative of the union government to take the final call on whether or not to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, the growing demand for the same prior to conduct of the delimitation exercise nationwide indicates growing concern among the civil society organisations, students' bodies and even the state's policy-makers over futility of the move for rejigging the parliamentary and assembly segments without first initiating the process for detecting and deporting foreign nationals from the state.

Prior to dismissal of the BJP-led coalition government in the state, then chief minister N Biren and handful of his ministerial colleagues had raised the necessity for implementing NRC citing spike in the number of population ofnon-natives either due to the unrest situation in neighbouring Myanmar or the political class aiding illegal immigration to strengthen their support base.

In view of the NRC exercise in Assam overshadowed by controversies due to omission of bona-fide citizens, who could not furnish residency documents in time, and inclusion of foreign national by corrupt officials, the centre might be averse to the idea of updating the NRC.

However, it is getting crystal clear that students and civil society organisations, which are batting for proper maintenance of record of all dynamics of the population growth, are resolute to have an effective mechanism to uphold interest of the indigenous communities.

For instance, back in August 2018, resolutions were adopted for updating the NRC at a public convention organised by Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN) at the State Guest House, thereby serving as a reminder to the state's authorities on the growing sense of insecurity among the indigenes due to spurt in the population of outsiders.

It is also pertinent to mention here that, few weeks before the HERICOUN-initiated discourse, the 'Working Committee on Update of NRC in Manipur' was formed by student organisations such as DESAM, ANSAM and AIMS, demanding the state government to update and publish NRC of the state, with COCOMI and FOCS being the latest CSOs to raise the same demand.

Apart from submission of memorandums centred on public meetings on the NRC issue, various organisations had been voicing resentment that in-spite of being aware about the threat posed to regional and national security on account of illegal immigrants establishing new villages in far-flung hill areas, and potential drastic demographic changes in case these foreign nationals are not deported, the government of Manipur dragged its feet with regard to the proposals for proper profiling of the citizens and formation of Manipur State Population Commission to draw up plan and policy to check influx of migrants, only to acknowledge urgency of such measures when the Kuki-Meetei conflict broke out in May 2023.

Even if there were no official reports about the public's demands intimated to the Central government, erstwhile chief minister N Biren made his stand clear, on multiple occasions, as the conflict continued, on the NRC issue.

In the wake of the Assam government publishing the final draft of NRC, which left around 40 lakh people country-less, there is strong apprehension that those flushed out from Assam might seek refuge, both overtly and covertly, in Manipur.

Therefore, whether or not the centre acknowledges, Manipur state is in dire need for updating NRC or any mechanism that could counter the inevitable fallout of the NRC in neighbouring Assam as well as prevent illegal immigration.