Politics · India Bureau
Manipur CM says Centre deferred Census on public request
Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Wednesday attributed the deferment of the Census exercise in the state to public sentiment. Singh said the decision came after the Centre reviewed widespread grievances from residents.
LSN India ·
Singh made the statement during the inaugural day of the eighth session of the current Manipur Assembly, addressing the House on the matter of Census operations in the state.
The Chief Minister outlined the sequence of events that led to the deferment. He recalled that in August 2022, the then Chief Minister N Biren Singh had moved a resolution demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be conducted in Manipur. A formal letter was subsequently dispatched to the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2023 regarding the matter.
The resolution was reaffirmed during the 2024 assembly session and again forwarded to the MHA. Following the imposition of President's Rule and formation of the new government, Singh said the state Home Department conducted a two-day seminar in August this year. The seminar concluded that the NRC would be taken up before the Census exercise.
Singh stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister reviewed the public grievances following these developments. This assessment, according to Singh, led to the Centre's decision to defer the Census in the state. The statement reflects ongoing sensitivities surrounding census and citizenship documentation procedures in Manipur, which has witnessed significant administrative and political turbulence in recent years.