The Centre has deferred the planned census in Manipur after protests and demands from several groups that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented in the state before any population count, an NDTV report said. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday and attended by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials.
Officials at the meeting discussed objections from sections of civil society to conducting the census without first completing the NRC, which identifies and registers citizens. After weighing those concerns and the sentiments expressed by people in the state, the Centre decided to postpone the exercise. The move reverses an earlier position in which the Centre had confirmed the census would proceed in Manipur without waiting for an NRC, a stance that had drawn opposition from several groups.
The demand for an NRC has become a highly charged issue in Manipur, where questions about undocumented migration and changing demographics are politically sensitive. The Meitei and Naga communities have called for the NRC to be completed before the census, arguing that the population count should follow formal identification and registration of citizens. The Kuki-Zo Council has publicly taken a different position.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh welcomed the Centre’s decision, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and other central leaders for considering the concerns raised from Manipur. Singh also acknowledged the support of BJP president Nitin Nabin and praised representatives of 14 civil society organisations and a delegation of BJP MLAs who travelled to New Delhi to press the demand for an NRC. He said repeated discussions between these groups, central leaders and officials contributed to Monday’s decision.
The census postponement comes against the backdrop of prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The violence, which began in 2023, has resulted in more than 250 deaths and displaced over 50,000 people, according to the information provided.
By deferring the census, the Centre is likely seeking time to address competing demands over the NRC and the population exercise and to reduce the risk of fresh tensions in the state while consultations continue.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/manipur-census-put-on-hold-as-centre-weighs-demand-for-nrc-before-exercise-14042194.html
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Publish Date: 2026-08-31 19:52:00
