Congress MP Dr Bimol Akoijam has urged the Centre to defer the Manipur Census, citing conflict, displaced people, disputed population data and illegal immigration concerns.
Imphal, August 20: Congress Lok Sabha MP Dr Bimol Akoijam has urged the Union government to immediately defer the Census process in Manipur, arguing that the ongoing conflict, displacement, unresolved concerns over previous Census figures and the issue of illegal immigration make a credible population enumeration difficult at present.
Speaking at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in New Delhi on Thursday, Bimol maintained that the demand for deferment was not confined to the Congress and had been raised by civil society groups, communities and political parties in Manipur.
He said he had raised the issue in Parliament in March and had also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking deferment of the Census. He said he had again written to the Home Minister on Wednesday, urging the Centre to stop the ongoing exercise.
RELATED NEWS: Biren Writes To Amit Shah Seeking Census Deferment, Says Hopeful Of NRC Before Census In Manipur
Bimol stressed that he was not demanding cancellation of the Census, but its postponement until conditions in Manipur become suitable for an accurate enumeration.
“There are reasons why we have been demanding the deferment of Census in the state,” he stated, pointing first to the continuing law-and-order situation and the large number of people who remain displaced nearly three years after the conflict began.
Conflict and displacement cited as key reasons
Bimol claimed that roughly 60,000 people remain homeless or displaced and that a large number continue to live in relief camps. He also referred to more than 10,000 houses that he said were destroyed during the conflict that began on May 3, 2023.
According to the Congress MP, several villages have been wiped out or severely damaged, making the ongoing house-listing exercise particularly difficult.
He questioned how officials could accurately conduct house numbering and population listing in places where houses no longer exist and thousands of former residents are living in relief camps.
“How can you get an accurate mapping of the houses and population in this kind of situation?” he asked.
RELATED NEWS: JFD’s 48-Hour Strike Over NRC Before Census Disrupts Normal Life Across Manipur
Bimol also pointed to restrictions on movement between different parts of the state, arguing that the continuing separation of communities has affected people's ability to access homes, hospitals, highways and other public facilities.
He further referred to fresh incidents of violence reported since February this year and the killing and abduction of Liangmei men as evidence that the security situation remains unsettled.
The MP argued that a reliable Census would require restoration of law and order, free movement and the return of displaced people to their original homes.
Raises concerns over previous Census figures
Bimol also linked his demand to what he described as unresolved questions surrounding the 2001 and 2011 Census figures in Manipur.
He referred to an unusually high decadal population increase recorded in 2001 and cited research by independent scholars who, according to him, concluded that conventional demographic factors could not adequately explain the abnormal growth.
He specifically referred to studies by researchers including Ankush Agrawal and Vikas Kumar and said such research had examined population figures in Manipur and their possible implications for delimitation.
According to Bimol, the studies raised questions about whether abnormal population figures could have been connected with competition for seats in the state Assembly and the subsequent delimitation process.
He argued that these earlier concerns should be examined and resolved before another Census is undertaken.
“If you do the delimitation exercise without proper counting, you are setting up for deepening of the crisis and conflict in the state,” he warned, adding that anomalies in the population count could have long-term implications for Manipur.
NRC and illegal immigration concerns
The Congress MP also identified illegal immigration as another reason for seeking deferment.
He referred to demographic changes in Manipur's neighbouring areas of Myanmar and particularly mentioned population trends in Chin State. Bimol argued that the contrasting population trends required closer examination in the context of concerns over migration into Manipur.
He said there was a need for a “judicious process” to distinguish Indian citizens from illegal immigrants and foreigners before conducting a population headcount.
Bimol referred to an incident in 2023 in which authorities had attempted to collect biometric information of people believed to have entered Manipur from Myanmar. He said some of those people were subsequently asked to move to designated camps but resisted the move, leading to violence.
He also cited media reports concerning the integration of people from Myanmar into local communities and said the issue needed to be addressed through a formal and legally sound process.
Calls for NRC and Foreigners Tribunals
Bimol proposed that the government first undertake a process to identify citizens and illegal immigrants, including through an NRC and Foreigners Tribunals, before proceeding with the Census.
He maintained that the process should also involve resolving questions surrounding legacy data and the legal framework required for an NRC in Manipur.
The MP criticised the state government for repeatedly raising the NRC issue without, in his assessment, completing the preparatory work required to implement it.
He contrasted Manipur with Assam, where he said the state government had prepared documents, parameters and supporting material before pursuing the NRC process.
Bimol questioned whether the required legacy records, including the 1951 NRC and the 1948 electoral rolls referred to in discussions on an NRC for Manipur, had been properly compiled and made available.
He also argued that amendments or provisions necessary under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship Rules, 2003, would need to be addressed if an NRC process specific to Manipur were to be undertaken.
Says Census has been deferred elsewhere
Bimol argued that postponement of Census operations was not unprecedented.
He referred to the Census not being conducted in Assam in 1981 and 1991 because of law-and-order conditions and also cited the deferment of the 2021 Census during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He questioned why a similar approach could not be considered for Manipur given the prevailing conditions.
“We are not asking for the Census to stop. We are asking for deferment of Census,” he emphasised.
According to him, continuing the process despite widespread objections could create avoidable tension and further disrupt daily life in the state.
Criticism of Centre and Manipur government
Bimol accused the Union government of proceeding with the Census despite repeated requests from different sections of Manipur.
He also criticised the BJP-led governments for repeatedly invoking the NRC issue without completing what he described as the necessary groundwork.
Responding to a question on responsibility for illegal immigration, he said the issue should not be reduced to a comparison between the previous and present governments.
He attributed cross-border movement partly to the nature of the India-Myanmar border and historical movement between communities on both sides.
At the same time, he argued that successive governments had failed to take adequate measures to address the issue.
Bimol also compared deportation figures under the UPA and NDA governments, claiming that more than 82,000 illegal immigrants were deported between 2004 and 2014, compared with fewer than 5,000 between 2014 and 2024. He attributed the figures to Union Home Ministry data.
Warns of consequences for delimitation
Bimol said the timing of the Census was particularly important because the population figures would have implications for future delimitation.
He warned that conducting delimitation on the basis of disputed or inaccurate population data could deepen existing tensions in Manipur.
He therefore called for a sequence in which law and order is restored, displaced people are enabled to return home, outstanding questions over earlier Census figures are examined, and a credible process is established to distinguish citizens from illegal immigrants.
Only after those steps, he argued, should the Census and subsequent delimitation process proceed.
The Congress MP maintained that the demand should not be viewed as a partisan issue.
“This is a non-partisan agenda for the state of Manipur,” he stated, arguing that the demand for a credible population count cuts across communities and political affiliations.
He concluded by urging the Centre to immediately halt the ongoing Census-related exercise in Manipur and address the conditions that, according to him, currently prevent a reliable enumeration.
Letter to Amit Shah seeks immediate deferment of Census
In a separate letter dated August 19, Bimol urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately stop and defer the ongoing Census process in Manipur, reiterating the request he had made in his earlier communication dated March 30, 2026.
In the latest letter, Bimol recalled that he had raised the Census and delimitation issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377 and had sought deferment of both exercises until a lawful and credible mechanism for citizenship verification was established in the state. He specifically called for preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the establishment of a Foreigners Tribunal for Manipur under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, to distinguish foreigners or aliens from genuine citizens through a fair, transparent and time-bound process.
Bimol stated that the circumstances that prompted his earlier request had “not materially changed” despite the Centre proceeding with the Census.
He cited the continuing impact of the violence that began on May 3, 2023, stating that nearly 60,000 people had been displaced, more than 10,000 houses had been destroyed or damaged and villages had been completely wiped out. A large majority of internally displaced persons, he noted, continue to live in relief camps or temporary arrangements because they have been unable to return to their original places of residence.
The letter also pointed to the continuing precarious law-and-order situation. Bimol noted that violence had expanded beyond areas initially affected by the conflict, including areas such as Ukhrul, Kamjong and Noney, where violence has affected Scheduled Tribe communities.
He further cited continuing blockades and disruptions along the National Highways, saying these had restricted the movement of people and essential goods. Insecurity and restrictions, according to the letter, had also prevented people from accessing highways, hospitals, healthcare facilities and other essential public institutions.
Bimol argued that these circumstances meant that normalcy and the conditions required for a free and credible enumeration had yet to be restored.
He therefore appealed to the Home Minister to defer the Census and any consequent delimitation exercise until normalcy and law and order were restored, displaced persons were able to return to their original homes and were rehabilitated, and an institutional mechanism for citizenship verification, including the NRC and Foreigners Tribunals, was put in place.
The Congress MP also cited previous instances in which Census operations were deferred or could not be conducted because of extraordinary circumstances. He referred to the 1981 Census in Assam and the 1991 Census in Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that these precedents demonstrated that enumeration need not proceed mechanically when conditions on the ground do not permit a credible and comprehensive exercise.
Bimol clarified that his appeal was not against the Census itself. Rather, he said the objective was to ensure that the exercise was conducted under conditions that would make its findings accurate, credible and acceptable to all sections of Manipur's population.
He accordingly urged the Union government to exercise its authority under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, and defer the Census in Manipur until the conditions necessary for a credible enumeration are restored.
