- The Centre deferred census operations in Manipur after a high-level review meeting
- The meeting was chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by key officials
- Discussion focused on deferring the census before implementing the National Register of Citizens
The Centre today deferred census operations in Manipur after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to assess the current situation in the state.
The meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs was attended by the Governor of Manipur Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, along with other senior officials.
The meeting discussed in detail the demand raised by many in Manipur to defer the census exercise in the state before the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The meeting agreed to defer the proposed census exercise considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur.
Following the meeting, Yumnam Khemchand Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders for listening to the voices of the people. He also thanked BJP President Nitin Nabin for his continuous support in fulfilling the wishes of the people of Manipur.
He also appreciated the efforts of the leaders of 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the delegation of BJP MLAs, who had recently campaigned in New Delhi for the implementation of the NRC in Manipur. The Chief Minister said that their regular engagement with central leaders and officials has resulted in today's decision.
Earlier, the Manipur High Court put the census process on hold. The development was announced by N Shanta, spokesperson of 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) and petitioner in one of the cases, following a hearing before a Special Division Bench of the High Court.
Shanta said the court had directed that the census process scheduled to begin on September 1, including the house-listing exercise, remain withheld pending further notification from the Registrar General of India (RGI).
Explaining the background to the litigation, Shanta said people in Manipur had been demanding updation of the NRC before any census exercise, arguing that the citizenship status of the State's original Indian citizens should first be established.
The demand has fuelled sustained agitation across the state for the past two to three months, including shutdowns and protests, with injuries also reported among protesters.
For the 14 CSOs, the court proceedings represent the legal front of a campaign that has simultaneously been pursued through public mobilisation and political engagement.
Shanta said the movement should not depend solely on agitation and called for a coordinated approach involving legal, political and democratic means.
"We should utilise the legal angle. We should utilise the political angle, as well as we should also go for agitation as and when required," he said.
He urged people to understand the different strategies being adopted by the 14 CSOs and community leaders, particularly their efforts to pursue the issue through institutions and legal channels.
Manipur witnessed tensions last week after the Centre confirmed it will carry out the census without first completing an NRC. The Meitei and Naga communities rejected the move, insisting that a census without an NRC cannot be justified, while the Kuki-Zo Council has taken the opposite stand.
The Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence had displaced over 50,000 people and killed over 250 in the state since 2023.
