Manipur Assembly urges Centre to update NRC before Census

The Manipur Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state before conducting the Census, citing concerns over demographic changes linked to alleged illegal immigration from neighbouring Myanmar.

This is the third such resolution passed by the Assembly since 2022. Speaker Th Satyabrata Singh said the House reaffirmed its earlier resolutions of August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024.

“The House once again reaffirms its previous resolution passed on August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024, to urge the government of India to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before conducting the census in the interests of the state in particular and the nation in general,” Singh said.

The development comes after the Centre deferred the census exercise in Manipur on Monday.

The demand for an NRC update has been driven by apprehensions among sections of the Meitei and Naga communities that conducting a census without first updating the citizens’ register could lead to demographic changes in the state. They have alleged that illegal immigrants from Myanmar may have entered Manipur, with concerns also linked to ethnic ties between some of the migrants and the Kuki community.

The issue has been particularly sensitive amid the ethnic conflict that has affected Manipur since May 2023.

However, a Kuki-Zo organisation questioned the Centre’s decision to defer the census, alleging that the community’s concerns were ignored while taking the decision.

The Assembly’s resolution therefore adds another layer to the ongoing dispute over the timing and process of the census in the violence-affected state, with different communities expressing sharply contrasting concerns over citizenship, migration and demographic change.