Fourteen Manipur CSOs and JFD prepare a court petition seeking Census postponement, demanding NRC before enumeration and safeguards ahead of delimitation.
Imphal, August 10: Fourteen civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Justice for Democracy (JFD) have stepped up efforts to oppose the Census scheduled to begin in Manipur from August 17, with preparations underway to approach the court seeking its postponement.
Representatives of the JFD and 14 CSOs met Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam on Monday to press for deferring the Census, arguing that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise should be undertaken before the population enumeration.
The meeting followed a two-day national seminar and discussion on the “Demographic Profile of Manipur”. Representatives of various communities and officials from the Home Department also participated in the discussions, which began around 6 pm after an earlier meeting with the Home Minister at his Babupara residence.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the organisations reiterated their position that the Census should not be conducted before implementation of an NRC in Manipur.
He urged the state government to seek postponement of the Census and simultaneously initiate steps towards an NRC exercise.
JFD cites previous Census postponements
Jeetendra argued that postponement of the Census was possible and cited previous instances in which population enumeration had been deferred in different parts of the country.
He referred to postponements in Jammu and Kashmir in 1951, Arunachal Pradesh in 1961, Nagaland in 1971, Assam in 1981 and Jammu and Kashmir again in 1991.
According to Jeetendra, these precedents demonstrate that the Census can be deferred under circumstances considered unsuitable for its conduct.
He argued that the prevailing situation in Manipur warranted similar consideration and urged the state government to initiate the process for postponement.
Jeetendra also appealed directly to the Home Minister, stating that deferring the exercise would be in the interest of both the government and the public.
CSOs prepare joint court petition
Fourteen CSOs convenor Nahakpam Shanta said the organisations had already submitted separate demands concerning the Census but maintained that statements alone would not be sufficient.
He called for the state government to take a firm decision on postponement and communicate the request to the Centre.
Shanta also proposed the formation of a committee involving the state government and representatives of different communities and CSOs. The committee, he said, should facilitate a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek clarity on the proposed NRC and the Census.
He said the organisations wanted non-Indian foreign nationals to be identified through an NRC or another suitable mechanism.
Shanta maintained that the government’s failure to take a decision on postponement so far was unacceptable to the organisations.
He said the CSOs were preparing a joint petition before the court seeking deferment of the Census and that preparations for filing the petition had already been completed.
Delimitation also raised
The organisations also linked their opposition to the Census with concerns over the delimitation exercise.
Shanta said delimitation should not be undertaken until genuine Indian citizens in the state were identified.
He called for a tripartite agreement involving the Government of India, the Manipur government and civil society organisations to establish safeguards around the delimitation process.
According to him, the Census would be the first step towards delimitation, making the organisations’ demand for identification of citizens before the exercise a central issue.
He further said representatives of civil society should meet leaders of the Union government and present their concerns before the delimitation process moves forward.
Government response awaited
The CSOs told the Home Minister that the government should act within the next two days on their demand for postponement.
Shanta said the organisations would closely monitor the steps taken by the state government and decide on their future course of action accordingly.
After hearing the concerns raised by the organisations, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam told the CSOs delegation that he would place the issues before Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh for discussion.
The organisations have meanwhile indicated that their campaign against the Census will continue, with JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba stating that the movement to oppose the exercise would be intensified.
