Posers raised on census, delimitation exercise
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 11 2025: While recalling about the central government's declaration that India will not be allowed to become a 'Dharmasalla' for illegal immigrants, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) Youth Wing questioned why Manipur has been turned into one.

In a release, MMTU Youth Wing convenor Haobijam Surjit pointed out that unrestrained influx of immigrants into the state has been impacting the indigenous population and instilling anxiety among the youth.

Amid such a restive situation, the decision by Census of India to conduct census in Manipur in April 2026 and delimitation based on the census data, is akin to executing the surreptitious agenda of obliterating the indigenous communities of the region, contended the convenor.

In-spite of being aware about presence of illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh in Manipur, emphasis on conduct of the census and delimitation exercises, instead of launching extensive drives to detect and deport the illegal immigrants and refugees is a serious blunder, rued Surjit.

He also pointed out that acting on the directive of the Supreme Court to conduct census and delimitation, the Mizoram government has started to collect biometrics of refugees from Myanmar.

Census of India Act, 1948 clearly mentioned that census cannot be conducted in areas where there is controversy of abnormal growth of population, Surjit explained, while contending that the central government is undermining seriousness of such sensitive issue by pushing for the census and delimitation exercises.

Citing to reports of abnormal growth of population in the 2001 census in villages in Chandel, Churachandpur and Saikot among others, he said that the proposed delimitation exercise based on the 2001 census was halted owing to the unnatural population spike.

The Union also referred to findings of a cabinet sub-committee formed on February 16, 2023, which identified over 2,480 illegal immigrants in Chandel and Tengnoupal districts.

However, detection of illegal immigrants was not continued after that, he said, further pointed out that 2,500 new unofficial Kuki-Zo villages have been established in Manipur by people coming from Myanmar.

Surjit questioned why the Foreigners Act, 1946 is not being implemented in Manipur to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants and expressed resentment over non-enforcement of the Passport Act, 1920 and Registration Act, 1929 to restrict the entry of outsiders.

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