Manipur: Kuki-Zo Council opposes NRC before Census, calls demand ‘premature’

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a Kuki-Zo apex body in Manipur, has opposed demands by some Meitei and Naga groups for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census, calling the demand “premature and unjustified”. The Kuki-Zo Council has opposed demands for NRC before the Census in Manipur, calling the move “premature and unjustified” and backing Census 2027. (ANI)In a statement issued on Sunday, the KZC said the NRC was a national exercise under the authority of the central government and that there was no basis for any Manipur-based group or the state government to dictate its timing or implementation. “Given the falsehoods and propaganda surrounding our population and demographic status during the Manipur conflict, an impartial Census is essential to establish facts and dispel unfounded claims,” the statement signed by its secretary, Information and Publicity, Ginza Vualzong, said. The council also welcomed delimitation, which was delayed since 2021 due to the pandemic, to ensure fair representation based on verified demographic data. Also Read: Manipur schools, colleges shut amid tensions over demands for NRC before Census Regarding the demand, it said, “There is no provision for any community or state government to ‘unilaterally initiate or conduct a separate NRC’ in a particular state at its own discretion.” Accordingly, there is no legitimate basis for any Manipur-based group or the state government to dictate the timing or implementation of the national NRC exercise, the Kuki-Zo body said. Concerning the Kuki-Zo community, the council alleged that the demand for an NRC before the Census was largely based on “unsubstantiated allegations and speculation”. It maintained that the Census was the appropriate source for demographic data and said demanding an NRC before the completion and publication of Census 2027 results was premature. The KZC also cited the experience of Assam, where the NRC exercise conducted pursuant to the Assam Accord of 1985 excluded around 19 lakh people from the final list and remained caught in legal challenges and appeals before Foreigners Tribunals. Also Read: Protest over census escalates in Manipur amid call to boycott govt institutions “Those demanding a similar exercise in Manipur should first consider its complexity, implications, and consequences,” the council said. The Kuki-Zo body appealed to all concerned to allow the Census to proceed without obstruction, respect the authority of the central government over the NRC and refrain from using demographic issues as instruments of “communal propaganda or victimisation”. Meanwhile, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and other civil bodies belonging to different communities, including Naga, Meitei and others, have been opposing the conduct of the Census until the NRC with base year 1951 is completed. With the demand to postpone the Census process until the completion of the NRC with base year 1951, a series of agitations has been carried out in the valley areas of Manipur. Sit-ins and night rallies have been witnessed each day at different locations across the valley areas of the state. On August 20, chief minister Yumnam Khemchand also assured a delegation of student representatives that the government supports “effort free” implementation of the NRC in the state. He also assured them that the government will move to discuss the implementation of the NRC in Manipur in the ensuing state Assembly session beginning September 2.