With Census-2027 deferred and the NRC debate set for discussion in the Assembly, questions over the next administrative step are gaining importance.
Key Takeaways:
- The NRC demand has become a central point of contention ahead of Census-2027 in Manipur.
- The Centre deferred the census exercise after protests and demands for an NRC update first.
- The dispute now moves toward the Manipur Assembly, where the NRC issue is expected to be discussed.
Manipur’s dispute over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has moved beyond protests and shutdowns. The controversy now involves the timing of Census-2027, the government’s administrative preparations and the state’s political response.
The Union government deferred the Census-2027 exercise in Manipur on Monday. The decision came amid continuing protests by organisations demanding that the NRC be updated before the census takes place.
The census exercise had been scheduled to begin in the state from Tuesday. Its postponement has created a new phase in the dispute, with civil society groups continuing to press their demand and the government facing pressure to clarify what happens next.
NRC Demand at the Centre of Census Dispute
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (CJFD) has made the NRC demand the central issue in its ongoing agitation.
The organisation wants the NRC updated before the Census-2027 exercise begins in Manipur. It has organised protests in the Imphal Valley and enforced a 24-hour shutdown over the demand.
The campaign began a fresh phase of agitation from midnight on August 17. The protests have since affected educational institutions, government preparations and normal public activity.
The latest shutdown brought large parts of the Imphal Valley to a standstill. Shops, markets and business centres remained closed. Public transport also stayed off the roads.
The disruption affected five districts — Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching.
Census Preparations Face Uncertainty
The dispute has also affected preparations for the census.
Several district administrations in the Imphal Valley either postponed or cancelled training programmes for enumerators and supervisors involved in Census-2027.
These developments show how the political dispute has begun to affect the administrative machinery required for the census.
The state had already planned training for personnel who would take part in the enumeration process. The protests and the demand for an NRC before the census have now complicated those preparations.
The Union government’s decision to defer the exercise has added another layer of uncertainty.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the decision followed a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Government Appeals Fail to End Shutdown
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh and Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh separately appealed to civil society organisations to withdraw the shutdown.
They argued that the protest was affecting ordinary people and students.
The CJFD, however, maintained its agitation. The organisation said the state government had informed it about the census postponement but argued that there was no official notification confirming the decision.
This disagreement highlights a key issue in the current standoff. The government has communicated that the census has been deferred, while the campaigners continue to demand a clear process for addressing the NRC issue before the census proceeds.
Kuki-Zo Council Takes Opposing Position
The NRC demand has also drawn opposition from the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex body of the Kuki-Zo tribal community in Manipur.
KZC spokesperson Ginza Vualzong strongly opposed updating the NRC before Census-2027.
Vualzong argued that the Constitution does not provide for conducting an NRC exclusively in one state. He said the NRC is a national exercise and referred to the Assam NRC as an exercise linked to the Assam Accord of 1985.
According to the KZC spokesperson, an NRC conducted exclusively in Manipur would be discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The opposing positions have therefore made the census issue more complex. One side is demanding an NRC update before the census, while another community organisation has rejected that approach.
Assembly Becomes the Next Political Arena
The dispute is now set to enter the political arena more directly.
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh told a student delegation that the NRC issue would be discussed during the Assembly session beginning September 2.
The Chief Minister has also praised leaders of 14 civil society organisations and BJP MLAs who recently campaigned in New Delhi for implementation of the NRC in Manipur.
The Assembly discussion could therefore become an important next stage in the controversy.
For the government, the challenge is no longer limited to managing shutdowns and protests. It must also address competing demands while dealing with census preparations that have already been disrupted.
Enewstime Desk Perspective: What Happens Before Census-2027?
The immediate question is what happens after the deferment.
The CJFD wants the NRC issue addressed before the census resumes. The Kuki-Zo Council has opposed the demand. The government has said the matter will be discussed in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, census-related training has already faced disruption in several districts.
The sequence of events has created an administrative and political impasse. The census has been deferred, but the underlying disagreement over the NRC remains unresolved.
The next steps taken by the government and the Assembly will therefore determine whether the dispute moves toward a political discussion or triggers another phase of agitation.
For now, the central question remains unchanged: can Manipur resolve the NRC demand before restarting the Census-2027 process? (With IANS Inputs)
