Govt defers Census 2027 in Manipur amid protests, demand for NRC
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
The Union government on Monday deferred the 2027 census in Manipur amid mounting violence and demands by large chunks of the population to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before conducting the population enumeration exercise.
Adding to this, Imphal: Women take part in protest rally 'Meira Rally' as they hold flame torches demanding updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census in Manipur, at Khurai area, in Imphal on Aug. 21 (PTI FILE) The development came a day before the house-listing of the census exercise was scheduled to begin in the strife-torn state, where nearly 300 have died since May 2023.
Meanwhile, The decision came after Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to “assess the current situation” in Manipur, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office.
Notably, “The meeting held at the ministry of home affairs was attended by the governor of Manipur, Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla, chief minister Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh, home secretary Shri Govind Mohan, along with other senior officials. 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). The meeting agreed to defer the proposed census exercise in the state considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur,” the statement shared.
As per the latest buzz, The census exercise has been disrupted by violence in the past, such as in Assam in 1981 and Jammu and Kashmir in 1991, but this is the first time that the 2027 exercise has been disrupted.
In further updates, The first phase of Census 2027 (house listing) in Manipur was scheduled from September 1 to 30. The self-enumeration facility was set to be available from August 17 to 31. Amid protests and training of census workers being disrupted by locals, self-enumeration for house listing was also not started.
On top of that, The decision came on a day the Manipur high court directed that the house-listing exercise be withheld, pending further notification from the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, amid petitions seeking implementation of NRC before the census.
Since August 16, Manipur has been roiled by protests by Naga and Meitei organisations that demanded an NRC before the census. The Kuki-Zo communities are opposed to the move.
Source: Hindustan Times