Near consensus on NRC update
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 29, 2025 -

With exception of the Kuki-Chin community, almost all the indigenous communities seem to be in favour of implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state prior to conduct of the delimitation exercise, though some influential community-centric organisations are yet to formally declare their stand on both issues.

In the wake of the Kuki-Meetei clash coupled with the Supreme Court's recent directive to carry out the delimitation exercise in four north-eastern states, including Manipur, within three months, political parties, elected legislators, former MLAs, a nominated parliamentarian and numerous civil society organisations have been trying to impress upon the union government on the need for updating the NRC prior to effecting changes to the electoral constituencies in Manipur.

After an all-political party meeting held some days back decided to petition the Election Commission of India to defer the delimitation exercise till completion of the NRC process, the latest political figure to pitch for NRC is the Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba, who appealed to the government of India to detect and deport illegal immigrants before making any alterations to the existing electoral constituencies of the state.

His argument, during the Zero Hour in Thursday's sitting of the Upper House, in favour of the NRC cited the abnormal increase in the number villages in Kuki-populated districts of the state compared to negligible growth of villages in Naga dominated areas.

The MP also cautioned that any change in the electoral boundaries without addressing the issue of illegal immigration could lead to demographic imbalance, jeopardising future of the indigenous communities.

According to MP Sanajaoba, in between 1969 and 2024, the number of villages in Kuki-populated districts of Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl had surged from 731 to 1,624, and increase of 893 villages or 122 per cent within a span of about 50 years, whereas the number of villages in the Naga-inhabited areas saw only a marginal increase of 49 villages, a mere 9 per cent rise.

Such unprecedented spike in the number of villages in Kuki areas is exactly the reason why civil societies and political organisations, including alliance partners of the erstwhile BJP-led coalition government have also been raising objection against the directive for conducting the delimitation exercise before implementation of the NRC, which many believe is the most potent mechanism for authenticating antecedents of the entire population in the backdrop of deep suspicion about increase in the number illegal settlers.

Notably, the demand for NRC is not confined to Manipur as there is near total unanimity among the north-eastern states that the indigenous communities are in dire need for constitutional safeguards.

As the NRC was carried out in Assam since 2013 as per the guidelines and instructions of the Supreme Court, Manipur-based political organisations and civil societies believe that the apex court would accord importance to the demand for the same in the state and defer execution of its directive for rejigging the electoral constituencies at-least till the prevalence of a conducive environment.

The Supreme Court might not entertain the demand for NRC but it could be safely stated that the planned delimitation exercise might see fierce objection.