NRC not related to census: CJFD
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 27 2026: The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (CJFD) has asserted that census and NRC are two different matters which have little connection.

Speaking to media persons at their Wangkhei Thangjam Leikai office today, CJFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba recalled that a mass rally organised by the COCOMI on April 25 raised seven critical questions to the State Government.

But the Chief Minister's reply on the question of updating NRC with respect to Manipur was disappointing, he said.

Chief Minister Y Khemchand's assertion that the census operations must be completed first before initiating any step to update the NRC has created confusion among the people, Jeetendra remarked.

He pointed out that census operations are carried out under the Registrar General of India and the Census Commissioner, and it is largely about counting households and population.

On the other hand, updating the NRC should be done under the Citizenship Act 1955 and it is more about differentiating non-citizens (illegal immigrants) from genuine citizens, he said.

The popular demand for updating the NRC is basically about identifying who are genuine citizens and who are illegal immigrants.

The demand for updating the NRC is not directed against any community and there is no reason for any community to be resentful against this demand.

"We are only asking the people to identify who are descendents of those people who lived in Manipur in 1951 and who are not", the CJFD convenor averred.

Categorically saying that there is no connection between conducting census exercise and updating the NRC, Jeetendra Ningomba warned that all residents whether they are indigenous people or foreigners or illegal immigrants will be taken into the count in the census exercise.

On the other hand, NRC will differentiate citizens from illegal immigrants.

If the illegal immigrants are identified, the Government shall either deport or settle them at a specified place, he said.

It will do well for both Manipur and India if the NRC is updated first before going ahead with the scheduled census operations, he added.

CJFD organisation secretary Longjam Ratankumar has urged Chief Minister Y Khemchand to come out with a clarification on his statement that census operations must be completed first before starting the process of updating the NRC.

He said that the particular statement of the Chief Minister has confused and misled the public.

People have been demanding updation of NRC in order to identify descendents of those Manipuri people who were accepted as Indian citizens in 1951, Ratankumar said.

He urged the Government of India to differentiate genuine citizens from non-citizens or illegal immigrants by updating the NRC.

Asserting that the current crisis of Manipur is largely a handiwork of illegal immigrants and they (illegal immigrants) have been killing and terrorising the public, he said that the illegal immigrants are a big threat to not only Manipur but also to the National security of India.

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