Centre Defers Census Exercise In Manipur Amid NRC Demands, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Union government has deferred Census operations in Manipur following a high-level review meeting in New Delhi.
• The decision was made in response to demands from Meitei, Pangals, and Nagas for an update to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census exercise.
• Concerns over illegal migration from Myanmar were a primary reason cited for the demand to update the NRC using 1951 as the base year.
• The Manipur High Court also ordered the deferment of the Census, which was scheduled to begin on September 1, until further notice.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the meeting, attended by Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and other senior officials.

Detailed Insights:

• The deferment of the Census in Manipur highlights the sensitive issue of demographic changes and citizenship in the state.
• The demand for an NRC update stems from fears among various ethnic groups about the impact of undocumented immigrants on local populations and resources.
• Manipur shares a 398-kilometer porous border with Myanmar, which has seen increased cross-border movement, particularly after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar.
• The Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allowed border communities to travel up to 16 km into each other's territory without a visa, has been a point of contention regarding illegal immigration.
• Similar to the NRC exercise in Assam, which used March 24, 1971, as a cut-off date, the demand in Manipur is for 1951 as the base year to identify genuine residents.
• The High Court's intervention underscores the legal and constitutional dimensions of conducting a Census amidst significant public and political demands for citizenship verification.
• The Chief Minister has urged civil society groups to engage in dialogue rather than resorting to shutdowns to press their demands.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Census: An official enumeration of the population, typically conducted periodically to gather demographic and other data.
• National Register of Citizens (NRC): A register containing names of all Indian citizens, mandated by the Citizenship Act, 1955, to identify legal citizens and illegal immigrants.
• Illegal Migration: The entry of foreign nationals into a country without valid travel documents or their continued stay beyond the permitted period.