Manipur women vendors seek action on NRC, caution against political use

Women vendors at Manipur’s Khwairamband Ima Market on September 6 urged the government to act with “sincerity and honesty” on the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), saying the issue should not be reduced to a political tool.

Speaking at a press conference at Ima Market on Sunday, vendor Asem Nirmala said the state’s indigenous population was gradually declining while reports of the growth of unauthorised villages and the influx of illegal immigrants had raised concerns over its demographic future.

Nirmala said updating the NRC with 1951 as the base year was necessary to protect the indigenous population. However, she alleged that successive political leaders had failed to demonstrate the seriousness needed to take the demand forward.

“We have seen and heard how Congress leaders at the Centre oppose the NRC. On the other hand, the BJP has used it as a political tool during elections,” she said, referring to assurances made by BJP leaders during elections in West Bengal.

She said the Manipur Legislative Assembly had twice adopted resolutions urging the Centre to update the NRC before the Census, but claimed that no concrete action had followed.

The latest resolution, she said, was reaffirmed during the recent Assembly session, but the issue was not discussed in sufficient detail.

“Resolutions on NRC updation were taken twice in the Assembly, but we have not seen any action. Now is the time to discuss in detail what steps need to be taken to translate the resolution into action,” Nirmala said.

“We do not want just another resolution. We want to know from the government how and when it will be implemented,” she added.

Nirmala also called for the effective functioning of the Manipur State Population Commission, constituted in 2022, saying its role had become increasingly important given the demographic concerns facing the state.

The women vendors' demands come amid a continuing debate in Manipur over population changes, illegal immigration and the need for a mechanism to determine the state’s indigenous population.