Thousands joined a rally in Imphal demanding NRC update before Census operations as a People's Convention adopted six resolutions, including a tripartite agreement proposal.
Imphal, June 8: A massive public rally held under the banner "No NRC Update No Census" culminated in a People's Convention in Imphal on Sunday, where participants unanimously adopted six resolutions, including a demand that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of 1951 be updated before any Census exercise is carried out in Manipur and that a tripartite agreement involving civil society organisations (CSOs), the Manipur government and the Central government be signed as a pre-condition for the NRC process.
Organised by 14 civil society organisations of Kangleipak, the rally began at around 11 am from Tiddim Ground and concluded at Thau Ground, where a large public meeting was held. Participants, including members of indigenous communities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), students and representatives of various community-based organisations, marched through the streets raising slogans such as "No Census Before NRC" and "No NRC Update No Census."
Placards carried by demonstrators read, "Updating NRC is the only way to save Manipur", "Long Live Manipur", "The Identity of Manipur Cannot Be Destroyed", "Nominate a Manipur Government Agency to the High Power Committee on Demography Change" and "No Census without NRC".
The convention, described by organisers as a "People's Convention", featured speeches by community leaders and other prominent personalities who expressed concerns over demographic changes, illegal immigration, citizenship verification and the ongoing Census process.
The first resolution adopted by the gathering urged the Government of Manipur and the Government of India to immediately update the NRC of 1951 before conducting the ongoing Census exercise related to Census 2027 in the state.
The second resolution, which emerged as one of the central demands of the convention, called for the NRC update to be undertaken only after a framework is established through a tripartite agreement involving the CSOs of Manipur, the state government and the Central government. Participants maintained that such an agreement would ensure transparency and accountability during the NRC updating process.
Under the third resolution, the convention appealed to Chief Minister Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh to take special initiative in opening a dialogue with the Central government and actively pursue the issue of NRC updating.
The fourth resolution urged the High Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) to include a nominee or agency of the Government of Manipur, arguing that the state government should have direct representation in discussions concerning demographic issues affecting Manipur.
The fifth resolution stated that the coalition of 14 organisations would continue consulting the people of the state before taking any major decisions or adopting further resolutions on the issue.
Through the sixth resolution, the convention decided to submit the proceedings and resolutions adopted during Sunday's gathering to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam and other concerned state authorities within two days for immediate consideration and necessary action.
Addressing the gathering, convenor of the 14 organisations, Santa Nahakpam, claimed that while the Government of India often speaks about detecting foreigners in the northeastern region, the actual implementation of such measures has remained unsatisfactory.
He alleged that despite being aware of large-scale infiltration in the Northeast, the Government of India had failed to take concrete steps to identify and detect foreigners. According to him, many of the hardships presently being experienced in Manipur are linked to the issue of illegal immigration.
Referring to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed in 2005 between the government and Kuki insurgent groups, Santa alleged that some groups had used the arrangement as a shield while carrying out activities against indigenous communities. He questioned what he described as the Centre's silence on the issue and alleged that this had led many people to suspect the existence of a hidden agenda.
Santa further alleged that Chin-Kuki groups who initially entered the region as refugees had subsequently become involved in activities aimed at carving out a separate homeland. These allegations could not be independently verified.
The convenor argued that updating the NRC and identifying illegal immigrants remained the only viable solution to what he described as the intertwined problems of armed conflict, narco-terrorism and demographic imbalance in the state.
According to him, peace and stability could be restored only after illegal immigrants are detected and deported to their respective places of origin. He maintained that the unrest currently prevailing in Manipur was not caused by indigenous communities but by what he termed "Kuki foreigners."
Santa also strongly opposed conducting the Census before updating the NRC. He argued that carrying out the Census first would provide undocumented migrants an opportunity to have themselves recorded in official population data and eventually claim Indian citizenship.
"If the Census operation is conducted without updating the NRC, it will be equivalent to giving these foreigners an opportunity to claim themselves as Indian citizens," he said.
He further alleged that individuals who entered the state illegally had already managed to establish influence within the legislature and administrative system, making it easier for them to pursue what he described as hidden agendas.
To prevent such a situation, he said there was no alternative to conducting an NRC update, identifying foreigners and deporting those found to be residing illegally in the state.
Santa described Sunday's mobilisation as an essential step towards protecting Manipur's future and warned that if the Government of India proceeded with Census operations before updating the NRC, the future of the state could become "unpredictable and perilous."
He stated that the 14 organisations were fully prepared to intensify efforts and exert pressure on the authorities to ensure implementation of the resolutions adopted during the convention.
The rally and convention come amid continuing public debate in Manipur over demographic changes, border management, illegal immigration and demands for implementation of the NRC. Civil society groups in the state have repeatedly argued that citizenship verification must precede any large-scale population enumeration exercise, while supporters of the ongoing campaign view the updating of the NRC as essential for safeguarding the identity and interests of indigenous communities.
With the adoption of six resolutions and the decision to formally submit them to the state government, Sunday's People's Convention marked a renewed push by civil society groups seeking to place the NRC issue at the centre of public and political discourse in Manipur.
