Imphal, Aug 19 | EKHON: The demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census has intensified across Manipur, with civil society organisations, student groups and tribal bodies pressing the Centre and the state government to verify citizenship before population enumeration and delimitation.
The latest developments come amid protests across the state. On August 18, demonstrations demanding NRC implementation before the Census turned tense in Imphal East, with police using tear gas to disperse protesters.
The Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM) on August 19 also demanded that the NRC precede both the Census and delimitation, proposing 1951 as the base year for verification of bona-fide citizens. The United Naga Council (UNC) and Chandel Naga People’s Organisation (CNPO) has similarly reiterated that neither Census nor delimitation should proceed in the state until the NRC is implemented.
The issue has gained momentum in recent months. In June, a large rally organised by 14 civil society organisations in Imphal demanded updation of the 1951 NRC before the Census, citing concerns over demographic changes, indigenous identity and political representation.
In July, representatives of 14 civil society organisations also met the Manipur Governor and urged support for implementing the NRC before the proposed Census 2027.
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) subsequently warned of intensified agitation if the government did not address its demand to update the NRC before the Census.
With the Census process approaching, the central issue now being raised by several organisations is whether citizenship verification should precede population enumeration and subsequent delimitation, making NRC implementation one of the most contentious current political and demographic issues in Manipur.
