IMPHAL | Fourteen civil society organisations from Manipur have urged the Centre to implement an update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state before the completion of Census 2027, citing concerns over demographic changes and alleged illegal immigration.

A delegation representing the organisations visited New Delhi between July 5 and 7, where it met Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and senior officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to press for the demand.

In a statement issued after the meetings, the organisations called on the Centre to notify the NRC update in Manipur before the Census 2027 exercise is completed or, alternatively, to conduct both processes simultaneously.

The delegation further urged the Centre to withhold the final Census 2027 population figures for Manipur until the NRC exercise is concluded. It also sought a halt to any delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies in the state until the NRC process is completed.

According to the organisations, decades of cross-border migration from Myanmar have had a significant impact on Manipur’s demographic profile. They appealed to the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, constituted under the Union Home Ministry, to prioritise an inquiry into the issue.

The groups also referred to resolutions adopted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly and communications sent by the state government to the Centre in January 2023 seeking implementation of the NRC in the state.

While welcoming the ongoing Census 2027 exercise, the organisations expressed concern over what they described as longstanding discrepancies in census figures in certain hill districts. They argued that unresolved demographic issues could influence future delimitation and representation.

In addition to the NRC demand, the delegation sought the inclusion of a representative from a proposed Manipur Population Commission in the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes. It also urged the Centre to expedite the committee’s inquiry into demographic concerns in the state.

Calls for updating the NRC in Manipur have intensified among several Meitei civil society organisations since ethnic violence erupted in the state in May 2023. These groups have maintained that unchecked illegal immigration from neighbouring Myanmar has contributed to demographic changes and social tensions.

However, Kuki-Zo organisations have rejected this claim, arguing that the ongoing conflict is rooted in political, administrative and constitutional issues rather than migration-related factors.