Postpone Census to first hold tripartite talks on NRC, citizenship issues: Manipur civil society groups
Civil society groups in Manipur are urging the Union government to postpone the Census until tripartite talks are held regarding citizenship and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). They argue that addressing illegal immigration concerns is necessary before conducting population counts.
Why it matters
The demand reflects deep-seated anxieties regarding demographic shifts and political representation in the sensitive border state of Manipur.
A delegation of Manipur civil society organisations (CSOs) has urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to convene tripartite talks involving the Union government, the Manipur government, and representatives of different communities before proceeding with the Census, arguing that citizenship-related concerns must be addressed first to ensure the exercise is accepted across the State.
Leaders of a 14-member CSO platform, who have met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and MHA officials in Delhi over the past few days, said they want the government to postpone Census-related activities and initiate a dialogue process on the implementation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC)-type mechanism in Manipur. While they declined to disclose details of those discussions, they said they had been assured that their concerns were being considered.
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