Census training deferred in several Manipur districts amid protests over NRC demand

Imphal, Aug 20 (IANS) Several district administrations in the Imphal Valley region of Manipur have either deferred or cancelled the training programme for enumerators and supervisors under Census 2027 amid protests demanding updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, officials said on Thursday.  

A senior Manipur Home Department official said that the training programme under the first phase of the census exercise was scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Meanwhile, as part of the Census-2027 exercise, self-enumeration began on August 17. The main house-listing operation will be conducted by enumerators from September 1 to September 30 this year.

"The district authorities of Jiribam, Imphal West, Thoubal and Kakching districts have either deferred or cancelled the Census 2027 training for enumerators and supervisors with immediate effect," the official said.

He said that, however, similar training programmes had already started in different districts in the mountainous region of the state.

The three-day training programme for enumerators and supervisors engaged in Phase I of Census 2027 (House Listing and Housing Census) commenced under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioners concerned, as they are also the Principal Census Officers of their respective districts.

With the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) launching its agitation, since midnight on Monday, mainly in the Imphal Valley region, demanding updation of the NRC in Manipur before Census 2027, normal life was badly affected on Tuesday and Wednesday in view of the 48-hour shutdown.

Various student and youth organisations, women’s bodies, including influential women's body ‘Meira Paibi’ (women torchbearers), and civil society organisations have been supporting the shutdown.

The JFD has also announced a boycott of all government offices from Thursday as part of its ongoing agitation.

With the deployment of additional security forces, security has been further tightened across large parts of the Imphal Valley, which comprises six districts -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Jiribam.

Meanwhile, the state Education Department announced that all educational institutions in the state would remain closed for three days from Thursday in view of the "prevailing law and order situation".

"In view of the prevailing law and order situation in the state, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to declare the closure of all schools as may be affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, the Council of Higher Secondary Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education or otherwise; colleges and higher education institutions, including universities; falling under government, aided or unaided sectors, from Thursday, August 20 to Saturday, August 22."

The Manipur government has already announced that it supports the demand for updation of the NRC and has repeatedly been pursuing the matter with the Centre.

A team of MLAs from Manipur is expected to visit New Delhi soon to seek guidance from the Central government and once again urge it to initiate the process of NRC updation in the state.

Manipur government spokesperson Nityaipat Chuthek and BJP MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh had said that the state government remains serious about issues concerning the NRC and Census and stands with the people of Manipur in addressing their concerns.

Ranjan Singh, also a former minister, said that the Manipur Assembly had passed a resolution on August 5, 2022, urging that the NRC be taken up in the state. The resolution was subsequently reaffirmed by the Assembly on March 1, 2024, Ranjan Singh and Chuthek told the media.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who returned to Imphal on Tuesday (August 18) after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, had said that the Centre would take positive action on updating the NRC in Manipur.

--IANS

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