The Convenor of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), Jeetendra Ningomba, has urged political leaders in Manipur to suspend electoral activities and prioritise the detection of alleged illegal immigrants in the state.
Speaking at an awareness programme organised in connection with the forthcoming Census, Ningomba said electoral politics should not proceed until mechanisms are established to identify and verify undocumented migrants. He warned that a mass movement could be launched if elections go ahead before the issue is addressed.
The programme, jointly organised by Sugnu Apunba Meira Paibi Lup and JFD, was held at Ching Tam Community Hall in Sugnu Bazar under Kakching district. Representatives of local Meira Paibi groups and several clubs attended the event.
Ningomba noted that Census and delimitation exercises are generally conducted every ten years worldwide and have been carried out periodically in India since 1961. However, he argued that in Manipur concerns have emerged over conducting the Census without first implementing measures such as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or similar legal frameworks to detect and verify migrants who allegedly entered the state after 1951.
While describing the Census as an important constitutional exercise, he said it should be conducted only after proper citizenship verification to avoid demographic discrepancies. Referring to the 2001 Census, he alleged irregularities in enumeration, claiming some hill sub-divisions recorded unusually high population growth while certain valley areas showed comparatively lower figures. He also questioned the sharp rise in the number of villages in some districts and called for verification before fresh enumeration.
Ningomba further referred to migration from neighbouring countries, including Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, and expressed concern that unrest in Myanmar may have contributed to cross-border movement into Manipur. He urged the state government to convey these concerns to the Centre before conducting the Census.
He maintained that although Census operations are rarely postponed except during extraordinary situations such as natural disasters or war, the present circumstances in Manipur warrant reconsideration. Conducting the Census without prior detection of alleged illegal migrants, he said, could have long-term implications for the indigenous population.
Meanwhile, JFD Finance Secretary Sunil Karam stated that since a popular government is in place in the state, it should send a strong message to the Centre opposing the Census until detection mechanisms are implemented. He added that the organisation had earlier urged the government to conduct the Census only after implementation of the NRC or similar legislation.
Karam also said several memoranda had been submitted to Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Governor of Manipur, but alleged that the concerns raised remain unaddressed. The campaign reiterated its demand that identification and verification of citizens be completed before conducting the Census in Manipur.
