Manipur groups ask govt. to defer Census in State, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Manipur civil society organizations (CSOs) have urged the Union Home Ministry to defer the upcoming Census 2027 in the state.
• They demanded tripartite talks involving the Centre, Manipur government, and community representatives to address citizenship concerns.
• CSOs advocate for an NRC-type mechanism in Manipur, proposing 1951 as the base year for citizenship verification.
• The first phase of Census 2027, the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), scheduled for September 1-30, has been halted.

Detailed Insights:

• A 14-member CSO delegation met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Home Ministry officials to present their concerns.
• Opposition to the Census also comes from several Meitei organizations and a section of the Naga community.
• Groups argue that unaddressed illegal immigration could impact future political representation and delimitation.
• The 1951 base year is proposed as it aligns with records from before Manipur's merger with India in 1949.
• CSOs cited alleged demographic changes in Census figures from 1961 to 2011, warranting scrutiny.
• Concerns are linked to migration from Myanmar, especially after the abolition of Manipur's traditional permit system.
• Ongoing ethnic tensions and large-scale displacement in Manipur are cited as reasons against a credible Census.
• Training of enumerators has been suspended, and the self-enumeration portal is not yet operational.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Census: A comprehensive official enumeration of the population, typically conducted periodically.
• National Register of Citizens (NRC): An official record of all legal citizens of India.
• Delimitation: The act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies for elections.
• Tripartite Talks: Negotiations or discussions involving three distinct parties or groups.