Ukhrul, September 01 2010: Amid incessant rainfall, a large number of people took part in a rally organised jointly by various NGOs at Ukhrul town today in protest against the ongoing Census 2010 exercise being carried out under the aegis of Government of Manipur.

Though the earlier schedule of the rally could not be followed due to the down pour, the protest march that began from Kasom junction side commenced at precisely the time set with many locals randomly joining on the way.

Those from the Hungpung junction side reached the public meeting point after those from Kasom junction point had already assembled at the meeting avenue, which was shifted to TNL conference hall at the last minute due to inclement weather.

at the public meeting addressed by individuals from various walks of life including functionaries of TNL, TKS and TMNL, the speakers highlighted alleged arbitrary policy of the state government to reduce decadal population growth in the hill districts of Manipur.

They pointed out that based on the official census of 2001, Ukhrul recorded a total population of 1,40,772 with the figure of census 2010 putting the district population as 1,76, 350, an over all growth of 37.1 percent.

However, the SPF government slashed the 2001 Census figure to 27 percent and the Census 2010 count further trimmed to 16.8 percent which they decried as unacceptable under any circumstances.

After the public meeting a memorandum copy for submission to Registrar General & census Commissioner of India Dr..CChandramouli (IAS) through the deputy commissioner (Ukhrul) was read out before the rally/meeting participants.

The representation iterated demands of frontal organisations of the Hill district of Manipur demanding early intervention and necessary directives to the state government for refraining from arbitrary policy intent on reducing decadal population growth in the Hill districts.

It also quoted Article 15 of the Universal declaration of Human Rights of the UN General Assembly that entitles "Everyone right to nationality" contrary to which tribals in the Hill districts had been deprived of their inherent fundamental rights.

The representation also stated that people of Hill districts are yet to recover from the wounds inflicted upon them by the state government in the form of 2001 census.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has verbally ordered all deputy commissioners to limit the decadal growth rate of population at 17 percent in the Hill districts, which is a total violation of the acceptable upper ceiling prescribed by the census commissioner of India, the speakers explained while adding that population of 108 villages of the Hill districts of Manipur have been included in the census roll of the Imphal valley.

Such anomaly needs immediate rectification by the authority concerned, the memorandum mentioned.

During the rally, banners and play cards inscribed 'O Ibobi who authorized you to slash census', 'We say no to false reduction of census in the Hills', 'Ibobi change your anti-Tribal attitude', 'stop communal census', 'Census 2010 is Anti-Tribal', 'Do not corrupt census data' etc, etc� were held by the rallyists.

all the shops downed their shutters and vehicles ceased plying on the road during the rally which affected normal schedule of passenger carriers on the Ukhrul�Imphal route for more than 4 to 5 hours.

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