‘Nearly 60,000 displaced’: Manipur MP says conditions not right for a credible Census
Inner Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam has asked the Centre to defer the Census and any delimitation exercise in the state. He said displacement, continuing violence and the absence of citizenship verification mechanisms make a credible count impossible.
- Aug 20, 2026,
- Updated Aug 20, 2026, 7:16 PM IST
Congress MP from Inner Manipur Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has again urged the Centre to defer the ongoing Census in Manipur and any subsequent delimitation exercise until conditions are in place for a credible and inclusive enumeration.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah dated August 19, Akoijam referred to his earlier intervention in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377 on March 30, when he raised concerns over conducting the Census amid the continuing crisis in the state.
He had subsequently written to the Centre seeking deferment of the Census and delimitation until a credible mechanism for citizenship verification, including the National Register of Citizens (NRC), is established and a Foreigners Tribunal for Manipur is set up.
Akoijam said the situation in Manipur remains unsuitable for a reliable Census, pointing to the continued displacement of nearly 60,000 people, the spread of violence to areas that had earlier remained relatively unaffected and clashes between Scheduled Tribe communities in Ukhrul, Kamjong and Noney districts.
He also cited disruptions along the National Highways and difficulties faced by people in accessing essential services.
The MP has called for the exercise to be deferred until normalcy returns, displaced people are rehabilitated and an institutional mechanism for verifying citizenship is established.
Akoijam stressed that his demand should not be viewed as opposition to the Census itself. He argued that the exercise must be conducted in conditions that ensure its findings are accurate, credible and acceptable to the people of Manipur.
On Thursday, Akoijam addressed the national media at the AICC headquarters at 24 Akbar Road in New Delhi, where he elaborated on his concerns over the Census, the continuing crisis in Manipur, citizenship verification and the implications of the exercise for any subsequent delimitation.