Mass campaign against delimitation from April 24
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 21 2025: A mass campaign against delimitation exercise based on the flawed 2001 census will be launched from April 24, N Dhanakumar, coordinator of six student bodies, has said.

Carrying out delimitation exercises based on the flawed 2001 census would have serious implications and further plunge Manipur into a deeper turmoil, he said.

Dhanakumar said this during the launch of a booklet titled "Delimitation in Manipur : Risks, Reform and the Road Ahead" written by Professor RK Narendra at Manipur Press Club, Imphal today.

N Dhanakumar is the coordinator of the collective of six student bodies that include DESAM, SUK, KSA, MSF, AIMS and another student body.

Mass campaign against delimitation from April 24

Speaking at the event, Dhanakumar said the student body and the people will not agree to any delimitation exercise based on the controversial and flawed 2001 census.

The 2001 census had reflected abnormal and unnatural growth of population in some hill districts.

A delimitation exercise based on the census will not reflect the actual ground reality, he asserted.

Delimitation, he said, must be conducted only after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated for Manipur, detecting all illegal immigrants.

Names of illegal immigrants and those who aren't genuine citizens of Manipur must be removed from the voters' list.

The Government must take up steps to identify and deport all illegal immigrants before carrying out the proposed delimitation, Dhanakumar said.

The proposed delimitation exercise must never be conducted designed against the interests of the indigenous people.

If the exercise is conducted forcibly, then it would have serious implications and cause many unwanted incidents, he cautioned.

The booklet advocates the conduct of the delimitation exercise only after implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and identifying illegal immigrants.

A mass campaign will be launched from April 24 and copies of the booklet will be distributed to students in schools and the public for awareness and action, he said.

The event at the Press Club was attended by leaders of the six student bodies.