Manipur Census deferred after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviews NRC demand

The Centre has deferred the Census exercise in Manipur following a high-level meeting in New Delhi on August 31, amid demands from civil society groups that the exercise be postponed until the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.

The meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Ministry of Home Affairs, reviewed the situation in Manipur and discussed the demand for deferring the Census. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting.

According to the Manipur Chief Minister's Secretariat, the decision to defer the Census was taken after the Centre considered the concerns and aspirations expressed by people in the state.

The demand had been raised by civil society organisations and political leaders seeking the implementation of the NRC in Manipur before the Census exercise.

Khemchand welcomed the Centre's decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for considering the concerns raised from the state. He also acknowledged the role of BJP president Nitin Nabin, 14 civil society organisations and a delegation of BJP MLAs who had held discussions with central leaders and officials in New Delhi over the issue.

The Chief Minister also appealed to civil society organisations against resorting to bandhs and general strikes to press their demands, saying such measures would cause further hardship to the public.

He instead called for continued dialogue with the government to address Manipur's socio-political challenges and said issues concerning the state should be taken up through consultations with the administration.

The decision comes as Manipur continues to grapple with the political and social fallout of the prolonged ethnic conflict, with questions over citizenship, migration and the proposed NRC remaining among the key issues in the state.