COCOMI warns of a stronger agitation in Manipur if the government fails to officially postpone the upcoming Census amid its demand for NRC first.
Imphal, August 30: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has warned of an intensified public agitation if the government does not issue an official notification at the earliest postponing the impending Census exercise in Manipur.
In a press release issued on Sunday, COCOMI urged the public to prepare for a stronger movement if the government fails to respond to the demand, while claiming that conducting the Census amid the prevailing situation would disregard the issues facing the state.
COCOMI alleged that the entry of people it described as “non-indigenous outsiders” over several decades had adversely affected Manipur's demographic situation. It said earlier generations of leaders had anticipated such consequences and had launched various agitations and submitted demands to successive governments.
According to the organisation, the failure of previous governments to address those concerns had contributed to the present situation.
COCOMI referred to the conflict that began on May 3, 2023, and claimed that the involvement of outsiders was a factor in the developments that followed. It said people had been displaced from their homes and that some displaced persons had remained unable to return to their native places for more than three years.
The organisation argued that conducting a population headcount under such circumstances would not take into account the situation on the ground.
COCOMI maintained that identifying people who entered Manipur illegally and taking action against them through existing legal mechanisms had been a longstanding public demand.
The organisation said it believed the ongoing campaign should continue until the demand was achieved and argued that doing so was necessary for what it described as a secure future for Manipur.
COCOMI also called on elected representatives to take the public demand seriously and act accordingly.
The organisation urged people to remain vigilant and warned that representatives who failed to respond to the issue could face public backlash.
It further appealed to the public to collectively resolve to launch a more intense agitation if the “double-engine government” did not issue an official notice postponing the Census.
COCOMI cautioned that failure by the government to respond to the demand in a timely manner could result in “many unwanted incidents” amid the continuing agitation.
The statement did not specify the nature or timing of the proposed intensified movement.
