Manipur Census: Congress urges postponement amid displacement, violence
The Congress party on Thursday sought the postponement of the Census exercise in Manipur, citing continuing violence and the displacement of thousands of people in the state.
Inner Manipur MP A. Bimol Akoijam, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, said conducting the Census under the present circumstances would be an injustice to those affected by the conflict. He said that nearly 60,000 people have remained homeless since the violence began on May 3, 2023, with many still living in relief camps.
“Accurate house listing of thousands of homeless people living in relief camps is practically impossible. To conduct the Census in these circumstances would be to compound the injustice and humiliation suffered by the people of Manipur,” Mr. Akoijam said.
The MP added that more than 10,000 houses had been destroyed and several villages were devastated. He argued that a reliable enumeration cannot be carried out when a significant portion of the population does not have a permanent residence.
The Congress clarified that it is seeking a postponement, not a cancellation, of the Census in the state. The exercise should be conducted only when conditions become conducive for a complete and accurate count.
Mr. Akoijam said he had raised the matter in Parliament under Rule 377, which allows members to draw attention to urgent public issues without moving a formal motion. He also said he had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the government to defer the Census in Manipur.
The MP called for the completion of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process before the Census. He expressed concern over illegal migration from Myanmar and demanded the establishment of Foreigners Tribunals in Manipur to identify non-citizens. Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies that determine whether a person is an Indian citizen or a foreigner.
Mr. Akoijam noted that unresolved questions over Manipur’s population figures from the 2001 and 2011 Censuses must be settled before a fresh enumeration. He said these discrepancies had been raised earlier and needed to be addressed for the data to be credible.
The Census is a vital administrative exercise conducted once every decade. Its data are used for the allocation of resources, the design of welfare programmes, and the delimitation of electoral constituencies. An inaccurate or incomplete Census can have long-term consequences for policy formulation and political representation.
In relief camps, enumerators would face practical difficulties in recording people who have lost their homes and identity documents. Many families have been displaced multiple times, and temporary shelters often lack clear addresses. The risk of missing residents or counting them twice remains high under such conditions.
Manipur has remained tense since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023, leading to widespread displacement and destruction. Thousands of people continue to live in relief camps, unable to return to their original settlements. The Congress’s demand highlights the challenge of conducting a nationwide enumeration in a state still recovering from conflict.
