Imphal: The High Court of Manipur on Monday stayed the Census and house-listing operations scheduled to begin on September 1, pending further notification from the Registrar General of India (RGI).
Shanta Nahakpam, convenor of 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) in the valley districts, told reporters after the hearing that the court passed the order in response to petitions seeking implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census.
The matter involves two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and a writ petition. The PILs were jointly filed by the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) and the International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), while Nahakpam filed the writ petition.
The petitioners have argued that genuine Indian citizens should be identified through an NRC update before the Census and any subsequent delimitation exercises are undertaken.
The demand for an NRC has led to protests across Manipur over the past three months, including multiple shutdowns and clashes in which several people were injured.
The house-listing exercise, earlier rescheduled from August 17 to September 1, will also remain on hold following the High Court’s order.
Nahakpam said a detailed copy of the court order is expected shortly and will provide further clarity on the legal directions.