Cong opposes delimitation on 2001 census data
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 02 2025: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has stated that it would not oppose delimitation based on an accurate census, but will not accept the same exercise if carried out on the flawed 2001 census data.

Addressing media persons at Congress Bhawan, here, on Wednesday, MPCC chief spokesperson and vice president Hareshwar Goshwami stated that the census process in India began in 1951 after the country gained independence.

Subsequent census surveys were conducted in 1961, 1971 and 2001, with the delimitation process carried out based on these reports, he said, explaining that the Delimitation Act was enacted a year after each census, following which the delimitation process was implemented.

Cong opposes delimitation on 2001 census data

Hareshwar also pointed out that as per the 2001 Census Report, the population of nine sub-divisions across three hill districts in Manipur showed an abnormally high decadal growth rate compared to previous censuses, with some areas reporting increase of over 100 percent, indicating serious flaws in the census data.

Meanwhile, at the national level, the Delimitation Act was enacted in 2002 followed by the delimitation exercise in other states.

However, when similar efforts were made for Manipur, various political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs) , and the public strongly opposed the move, leading to widespread agitation, he recalled while adding that in 2005, following a PIL filed in the Gauhati High Court, the court ruled the 2001 Census Report for Manipur null and void.

He further stated that after the Gauhati High Court's verdict, some political parties, driven by vested interests, appealed to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, in 2008, the central government issued a gazette notification, deferring the delimitation process.

As a result, the Supreme Court did not proceed with the appeal.

He, however, noted that in 2020, the gazette notification postponing the delimitation exercise was revoked, leading to the formation of a seven-member delimitation committee, which included two Lok Sabha MPs and five MLAs.

"Despite this, it remains unclear whether the committee still exists.

Regardless of the situation, the committee members should be made known to the public," he remarked.

Hareshwar further stated that census data is available for the years 2001, 2011 and 2021.However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2021 census has been postponed until 2026.Meanwhile, the present delimitation process is based on the 2002 Delimitation Act.

While this may not be an issue for other states, it poses a significant concern for Manipur as the 2002 Act does not specify that delimitation should be conducted based bn the 2011 or 2021 census.

Instead, it mandates that the process be carried out using the 2001 census data, which has already been invalided by the Gauhati High Court.

He further suggested that while delimitation can be conducted in Manipur, it would be more appropriate to wait until a reliable and accurate census report is available, to ensure fairness in the process.