GUWAHATI: The Centre has deferred the Census exercise in Manipur, which was scheduled to begin on September 1, amid demands from Meitei and Naga organisations that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented before the Census and delimitation exercises.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday to review the situation in Manipur. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting.
“The meeting discussed in detail the demand raised by the people of Manipur to defer the Census exercise in the state before the implementation of the NRC. The meeting agreed to defer the proposed Census exercise in the state considering the feelings and aspirations of the people,” the Manipur government statement said.
Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah and other central leaders for considering the concerns of the people of Manipur. He also thanked BJP national president Nitin Nabin for his support.
The Chief Minister credited leaders of 14 civil society organisations and a delegation of BJP MLAs who had recently met central leaders and officials in New Delhi to press for implementation of the NRC.
The decision came shortly after the United Naga Council, the apex Naga organisation in Manipur, directed the presidents of Naga tribes and organisations to ensure that villagers did not cooperate with government officials assigned to conduct the Census.
The Meitei civil society and student-led Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation had also called for a 24-hour shutdown from August 31 midnight to press for the NRC demand.
The Kuki-Zo Council had earlier described the NRC demand as “premature and unjustified” and welcomed the Census exercise.