Manipur government urges JFD to put deadline on hold, assures action on NRC demand

The Manipur government has appealed to the campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) to put its September 30 deadline on hold, assuring that the organisation’s demands, including conducting the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise before the Census, are being considered seriously.

Government spokesperson and MLA Sapam Ranjan made the appeal during a press conference at his residence in Konthoujam, Imphal West, on Saturday.

Ranjan said the state government was taking the memorandum submitted by the JFD seriously and was making efforts to translate the demands raised by the organisation into action.

One of the key demands in the memorandum is that the NRC exercise should be conducted in Manipur before the Census. The demand comes amid concerns over the state’s demographic profile and the ongoing debate surrounding delimitation.

Referring to the postponement of the Census, Ranjan said the government would continue its efforts to ensure that the concerns and wishes of the people of Manipur were addressed.

“I would like to appeal to the JFD to put the deadline on hold, and then let us all work together,” Ranjan said.

He said the issues raised by the organisation concerned the future and development of Manipur and affected all sections of society.

“We are all in the same boat, and we will definitely take every matter with the utmost sincerity,” he said, appealing to the JFD to cooperate with the government and work together for the progress of the state.