Imphal: A 10-member delegation representing 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) in Manipur returned to Imphal on Friday after an eight-day visit to New Delhi, where it pressed central leaders to defer the upcoming Census and implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the exercise.
The delegation, which included representatives of the Meitei, Naga, Kom and Meitei Pangal communities, had travelled to the national capital on August 20 to raise what it described as the aspirations and concerns of the people of Manipur with central leaders.
Speaking to mediapersons at Imphal Airport after returning from Delhi, Shanta Nahakpam, convenor of the 14 CSOs, said the delegation met several central leaders, including Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
According to Nahakpam, the delegation strongly advocated updating the NRC before the Census is conducted in Manipur.
The discussions also focused on the deferment of the Census and mechanisms to identify alleged illegal immigrants and establish the citizenship status of residents, with 1951 proposed as the base year.
Nahakpam said the central leaders assured the delegation that the concerns and aspirations of the people of Manipur would not be overlooked.
The CSOs expressed hope that the Centre would take a decision on deferring the Census before the Manipur Assembly’s next session, scheduled to begin on September 2.
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The delegation also urged the Centre to initiate dialogue with stakeholders representing different communities and organisations in Manipur to address concerns surrounding the Census and demands for deferment of the delimitation process.
Leaders representing the Naga, Kom and Meitei Pangal communities backed the demand for deferring the Census until the NRC is implemented in the state.
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