No Census In Manipur: Centre Defers Exercise After Protests Over NRC

The Centre today deferred census operations in Manipur after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to assess the current situation in the state.The meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs was attended by the Governor of Manipur Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, along with other senior officials.The meeting discussed in detail the demand raised by many in Manipur to defer the census exercise in the state before the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The meeting agreed to defer the proposed census exercise considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur.Following the meeting, Yumnam Khemchand Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders for listening to the voices of the people. He also thanked BJP President Nitin Nabin for his continuous support in fulfilling the wishes of the people of Manipur.He also appreciated the efforts of the leaders of 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the delegation of BJP MLAs, who had recently campaigned in New Delhi for the implementation of the NRC in Manipur. The Chief Minister said that their regular engagement with central leaders and officials has resulted in today's decision.Manipur witnessed tensions last week after the Centre confirmed it will carry out the census without first completing an NRC. The Meitei and Naga communities rejected the move, insisting that a census without an NRC cannot be justified, while the Kuki-Zo Council has taken the opposite stand.The Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence had displaced over 50,000 people and killed over 250 in the state since 2023.