JFD Sets September 10 Deadline For Manipur Government To Press Centre On 1951 NRC Base Year

Imphal, Sept 7: The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has set September 10 as the deadline for the Manipur government to formally communicate to the Government of India that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update in the state must use 1951 as the base year, warning of further public action if the demand is not addressed.

The decision was taken at a public meeting organised by the JFD at the Citizen’s Club ground in Soibam Leikai, Wangkhei Khunou, on Monday. Representatives of various civil society organisations and groups attended the meeting.

The meeting followed the Manipur Legislative Assembly’s resolution of September 2, which urged the Centre not to conduct the Census in the state before the NRC is updated.

The JFD stated that although Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam informed the Assembly on Monday that 1951 would be the base year for the NRC update, the public meeting considered the Assembly resolution incomplete because it did not explicitly incorporate the 1951 base year.

According to the resolutions adopted at the meeting, a team led by the Chief Minister and Home Minister should approach the Government of India by September 10 and formally communicate Manipur’s position that the NRC update should be conducted using 1951 as the base year.

The JFD further demanded that the state government publicly inform people by the end of September about the Centre’s response and the timeframe for beginning the NRC update with 1951 as the base year.

If the government fails to communicate the demand to the Centre by September 10, the JFD resolved that employees of state and Central government offices in Manipur would be asked to cease work from September 11.

The forum also appealed to government employees to participate in the public movement. However, essential services, including health, education, water supply, fire services, electricity and agriculture, have been exempted from the proposed disruption.

The JFD resolved that people across Manipur would continue various forms of agitation until the NRC update is carried out using 1951 as the base year.

It also reaffirmed its earlier decision to oppose the Census in Manipur until the NRC update is completed.

The forum stated that if Census officials arrive in localities before the NRC update, local clubs, Meira Paibi groups and associations should prevent officials from carrying out the exercise and extend non-cooperation.

The resolution also appealed to officials associated with the Census to refrain from participating in the exercise if it proceeds before the NRC update.

The organisation further resolved to intensify public mobilisation in order to convey its demands to the government and to continue different forms of agitation after the completion of the initial protest programme.

The JFD stated that responsibility for any adverse consequences arising from actions taken after the expiry of the deadline would lie with the governments of Manipur and India.

The resolutions were issued by Jeetendra Ningomba, Convenor of the JFD, following Monday’s public meeting.

The development comes days after the Manipur Assembly unanimously reaffirmed its earlier position on the NRC and called for the process to precede the Census in the state.