Census: MMTU cautions Govt of unprecedented crisis
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 14 2026: Launching the scheduled self-enumeration process related to census' houselisting exercise on August 17 against demand to postpone it may invite public wrath, and cause unprecedented and widespread unwanted incidents, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has cautioned the Government.

These words of caution to the Government came amid growing demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before any census related operation.

At a press meet at Manipur Press Club, Imphal today, MMTU secretary (organisation) Takhellambam Parijat said the State is already facing multiple crises amid prolonged conflicts involving communities, and the prevailing environment is not conducive for census operation.

Before any census related operation is conducted in the State, the Government must first update the NRC to detect and identify illegal immigrants, he said.

Further, the Census Act, 1948 has provisions for the State to postpone census exercise in case there is tension and no normalcy.

There is no normalcy and peace in Manipur at present, and therefore, the scheduled census related exercise must be postponed until normalcy returns, he added.

The growing public demand to the State to update the NRC is a legitimate and lawful demand.

It is in the interest of the State to update the NRC and detect illegal immigrants, Parijat said.

While the State Assembly had taken decisions to update NRC in 2022 and 2024, these were not further pursued with the Centre.

Further, two accords signed between the Government and AMSU in 1980 and 1994 to detect and identify illegal immigrants have not been implemented and converted into actions, he said.

Public movement against illegal immigrants first broke out in Manipur in 1978 much before similar movements erupted in Assam.

While Assam proactively took up steps and updated the NRC, the Manipur Government has remained adamant and not taken up any positive steps, Parijat said.

While the call to crack down on illegal immigrants has been raised for decades, the Government has instead "given them the status and benefits of Scheduled Tribe", he asserted.

When the Supreme Court had passed orders that illegal immigrants possess no fundamental rights to claim rights of citizens, in Manipur, "illegal immigrants from Myanmar have been given ST status and protected," he said.

The State Cabinet, in 2018 and 2023, had taken decisions to remove the Any Kuki Tribe from the ST list.

However, this was also not pursued further and has not yet materialised, he added.

Infiltration has always been a major issue facing Manipur for decades, and past censuses in the State have detected abnormal population growth across several hill districts, apparently revealing a large presence of immigrants, Parijat said.

The demand to update the NRC before the census, therefore, is the right call, and it must be supported by all sections of the society, civil bodies, MLAs and Ministers overlooking party affiliation, he said.

Further all political parties must form a delegation and take the issue and the demand to the Centre.

If no collective steps are taken, the fate of the indigenous peoples of the State would become dark and uncertain, and there would be catastrophic demographic changes in the near future, Parijat added.

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