Imphal: The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has supported the Census and delimitation exercises in Manipur but opposed demands for conducting the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before them, calling the proposal “premature and unjustified”.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the influential Kuki-Zo organisation said the Census was crucial to establish accurate demographic facts and counter what it described as “falsehoods and propaganda” about the community’s population during the ongoing conflict in Manipur.
The KZC also endorsed delimitation, saying the process should be based on verified population figures to ensure fair political representation, as reported by The New Indian Express.
NRC Cannot Be State-Specific
On the NRC, the council said it was a national exercise and could not be initiated or conducted independently by a state government or any community.
“Regarding the NRC, the KZC reiterates that it is a national exercise and there is no provision for any community or state government to unilaterally initiate or conduct a separate NRC in a particular state at its own discretion,” the organisation said.
It added that no group or authority in Manipur had the right to determine the timing or manner of implementing the NRC.
The council said the demand for completing the NRC before the Census appeared to be driven mainly by allegations and speculation directed at the Kuki-Zo community.
“Such claims should be assessed against credible demographic data. Since the Census is the appropriate source for such data, demanding NRC before the completion and publication of the Census 2027 results is premature and unjustified,” the KZC said.
Assam Example cited
The KZC referred to the experience of Assam, where more than 19 lakh people were left out of the complete NRC draft. It noted that the process had still not reached finality because of legal challenges and appeals pending before Foreigners Tribunals.
The council said those demanding a similar exercise in Manipur should examine its legal and administrative complexities, as well as its wider consequences.
Calls For Unhindered Census
The KZC urged all stakeholders to allow the Census to continue without obstruction. It also appealed to political and civil society groups not to turn demographic questions into tools of communal propaganda or victimisation.
The statement followed last week’s call by the Meitei civil society and student-led Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation for a 48-hour general strike across five Imphal Valley districts. The group demanded that the NRC be conducted before the Census and delimitation exercises.
The United Naga Council, the apex Naga organisation in the state, has also reiterated its demand for an NRC.
