Why has the Manipur Census operation been deferred?
The Indian government has deferred Census operations in Manipur due to ongoing ethnic tensions between Kuki, Meitei, and Naga communities. Local groups are demanding the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the census to address concerns over illegal migration and delimitation.
Why it matters
The delay highlights the deep-seated ethnic conflicts in Manipur and the political sensitivity surrounding population data and delimitation in the region.
The story so far: On August 31, the Centre deferred the Census operations in Manipur amid demands to first conduct the State’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise with 1951 as the base year. The decision followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in New Delhi. The message conveyed was that Manipur can ill-afford fresh tension amid the ongoing Kuki-Meitei and Kuki-Naga conflicts, with elections to the State’s 60-member Assembly less than a year away.
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