Imphal: Five civil society organisations in Manipur, led by the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to defer Census 2027 in the state, citing security concerns, displacement and administrative disruption.
The organisations submitted a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Governor on August 20, arguing that the prevailing situation could affect the conduct and accuracy of the census.
The groups said several districts continue to face law and order challenges and restrictions on public movement. They said ethnic divisions have also made it difficult for people to travel safely to areas dominated by other communities, which could hamper house-listing and population enumeration.
The organisations said census personnel could face security threats, raising concerns over incomplete data collection and the reliability of the final figures.
They also pointed to the displacement caused by the ongoing conflict. According to the memorandum, nearly 60,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and are living in relief camps or elsewhere in and outside Manipur.
The groups argued that conducting the census before displaced people are rehabilitated in their permanent places of residence could distort population figures. They said there is no reliable mechanism to account for displaced populations, raising the possibility of under-enumeration.
The coalition comprises AMUCO, the All Manipur Women’s Voluntary Association (AMAWOVA), Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur (PLMPAM), the Committee on Human Rights (COHR) and the Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF).
The organisations also raised concerns over undocumented migration, specifically referring to Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts. They claimed that the presence of undocumented foreign nationals in these areas could affect population figures.
According to the memorandum, distorted population figures could have implications for welfare schemes, security planning, resource allocation and future delimitation of legislative constituencies.
The groups also reiterated their demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, arguing that citizenship verification should precede the population census.
They called for a time-bound and transparent NRC process, with safeguards against wrongful exclusion. They also sought participation of community representatives and an independent oversight panel to ensure accuracy and fairness.
The organisations warned that conducting Census 2027 amid the prevailing social and administrative disruption could result in errors that may affect governance and future delimitation exercises.