The Manipur government on Monday said the central government has decided to defer the census exercise in the state following a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is yet to issue a statement. But protests against the exercise in the state had even disrupted the training of census workers. Instead, he urged civil society groups to continue dialogue and extend full cooperation to the administration in addressing the socio-political challenges of the State.
The first phase of Census 2027 (house listing) in Manipur was scheduled to start from September 1 and continue till September 30. Officials said the facility for self-enumeration for house listing, which was scheduled to open on August 17, had also been deferred. Manipur has been roiled by protests related to the census exercise, with a large section of people (non-Kuki-Zo) demanding the government compile the National Register of Citizens (with the base year of 1951) before conducting the official headcount. In its statement on Monday, the chief minister’s office thanked the leaders of the 14 CSOs and the delegation of BJP MLAs, who recently campaigned in New Delhi for the implementation of the NRC in Manipur.
A state government statement said the meeting chaired by Shah in the national capital was attended, among others, by governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. The meeting agreed to defer the proposed Census exercise in the State considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur,” the statement said. The government is for the people, and any issue of the state should be consulted with the government for getting a better solution,” the CM’s office said.
“The meeting discussed in detail the demand raised by the people of Manipur to defer the Census exercise in the State before the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Calling bandhs and general strikes will not help in pressing demands before the Government and added that such actions would cause more hardship to the common people. “The Chief Minister said that their regular engagement with central leaders and officials has resulted in today’s decision.
