Protesters in Imphal have intensified calls for a National Register of Citizens (NRC), demanding that any fresh census be postponed until an NRC-like exercise identifies illegal immigrants, ideally using the 1951 Census as the base year. Demonstrations that began in March, organised by groups including the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation, Civil Society Organization (Kangleipak) and several student bodies, have at times clashed with security forces as activists pressed for registration before delimitation or a new population count.
Manipur’s demand differs from Assam’s long-standing model. While Assam used a 1971 cutoff under the Assam Accord, many in Manipur want post-1951 entrants identified, citing increased cross-border movement from Myanmar after the 2021 military coup and subsequent conflict. Local leaders point to recent demographic pressure in hill districts-alleged forest encroachment, poppy cultivation, unrecognized settlements and strain on resources-as drivers of the demand.
Border vulnerability is a central concern. The 1,643-km India–Myanmar frontier remains porous, with fencing work reportedly limited to roughly 30 km as of early 2026, repeated incidents of fence-cutting in Chandel district, and intermittent construction pauses. Authorities have ended the Free Movement Regime, but enforcement gaps and security challenges persist.
Proponents argue lessons from Assam’s 2019 NRC should shape Manipur’s approach. Assam’s exercise, overseen by the Supreme Court, processed about 3.3 crore applicants but excluded only some 19 lakh people-far fewer than many indigenous groups expected. Critics cite heavy reliance on paper documents in poorly documented areas, rushed verification, allegations of both under-detection and wrongful exclusions (notably of genuine citizens lacking legacy proofs), and overburdened Foreigners Tribunals. Deportations also remained slow, although expedited pushbacks under the 1950 Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act in 2025–26 indicate some policy shifts.
Manipur, with a population of roughly three million and an Inner Line Permit regime since 2019, presents a smaller and more contained case. Advocates say a credible NRC could clarify demographics and ease tensions-but only if it avoids Assam’s pitfalls and addresses indigenous grievances, especially those of landless or land-poor families in the Imphal Valley, where land scarcity and legal barriers to hill land acquisition compound insecurity.
Suggested safeguards in the public debate include prioritising border security-fast-tracking the Rs 31,000 crore border infrastructure project, completing fencing and patrol roads, operationalising biometric gates and ensuring a robust Assam Rifles presence-alongside targeted intelligence against drug and insurgent networks. Legal credibility would come from a process notified by the Registrar General and monitored by the Supreme Court, with 1951 proposed as the base year.
Preparations should include a six-to-twelve-month documentation drive with mobile camps to help residents obtain or correct Aadhaar, voter ID, birth certificates and land pattas, and accepting alternative credible evidence where legacy documents are missing. A technology-driven, phased verification using biometrics and database linkages is recommended, beginning in high-influx districts such as Kamjong, Chandel and Tengnoupal, with draft lists and a clear claims-and-objections window.
Post-verification measures proposed in the debate call for time-bound Foreigners Tribunals with Manipur High Court appeal routes, prioritised voluntary repatriation to Myanmar, protections against statelessness, fast-tracked housing and livelihood support for landless indigenous families, and regulatory tools tied to NRC-verified status. Success, proponents say, will depend on cross-community political consensus, insulation from short-term electoral pressures, rigorous judicial oversight and humane, evidence-based implementation-allowing Manipur to learn from Assam’s experience on a more manageable scale.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/opinion/story/how-manipur-can-execute-a-credible-nrc-while-securing-land-for-its-indigenous-people-1371520-2026-04-06?utm_source=rssfeed
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-04-06 20:04:00
