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

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a prominent Kuki-Zo apex body in Manipur, has voiced strong opposition to calls for implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the upcoming Census. The council deems such demands, made by some Meitei and Naga groups, as "premature and unjustified." Instead, the KZC is backing the Census 2027, emphasizing its necessity for establishing factual demographic data in the wake of the Manipur conflict.

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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.

In a statement released on Sunday, the KZC highlighted that the NRC is a national exercise managed by the central government. They asserted that no state-level group or government has the authority 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 read, signed by Ginza Vualzong, secretary for Information and Publicity.

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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.

The council also expressed support for the delimitation process, which has been delayed since 2021. They believe delimitation, based on verified demographic data from the Census, will ensure fair representation. The KZC pointed out that there is no provision for any community or state government to unilaterally conduct a separate NRC. They warned that demands for an NRC before the Census are often based on "unsubstantiated allegations and speculation."

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Those demanding a similar exercise in Manipur should first consider its complexity, implications, and consequences.

Referencing the complexities and legal challenges faced during Assam's NRC exercise, which excluded approximately 19 lakh people, the KZC urged those advocating for a similar process in Manipur to consider its implications. The Kuki-Zo body appealed for the Census to proceed without obstruction, respect the central government's authority over the NRC, and refrain from using demographic issues for "communal propaganda or victimisation."

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refrain from using demographic issues as instruments of “communal propaganda or victimisation”.