Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Manipur Groups Seek NRC Talks Before Census Amid Dispute
Fourteen groups in Manipur want the government to hold talks about making a citizenship register before the next census.
They want the register to use 1951 as its starting year.
They say this would help decide who should be counted as a citizen before population numbers are used for political boundary changes.
They are asking officials to delay the first part of the census in the state.
That part is planned for September 1 to 30.
The full counting of people is planned for February 2027.
The Kuki-Zo Council disagrees and says the demand is too early and not justified.
Protests and a shutdown have already affected normal life and census work in parts of Manipur.
Fourteen civil society organisations representing Meiteis, Pangals and Naga groups sought tripartite talks with the Centre and Manipur government.
The groups want a National Register of Citizens based on 1951 records before Census 2027 and any later delimitation exercise.
They urged authorities to defer Manipur’s house-listing and housing census, scheduled for September 1-30.
The organisations said citizenship should be established before population figures are used to redraw electoral constituencies.
The Kuki-Zo Council opposed the demand, calling it premature and unjustified, while a recent 48-hour shutdown disrupted life and census-related work.
- Who
- Fourteen civil society organisations representing Meiteis, Pangals or Meitei Muslims, Kom and Rongmei Naga tribes, and people displaced by the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence.
- What
- They sought tripartite talks and demanded an NRC based on 1951 records before Census 2027 and future delimitation.
- When
- The demand was reported on August 25; the first census phase is scheduled for September 1-30, with population enumeration in February 2027.
- Where
- Manipur, with the delegation submitting representations to officials and leaders in New Delhi.
- Why
- The groups want citizenship status established before new population figures are used for delimiting electoral constituencies and say migration affected Manipur’s demographic profile.
Supporters of NRC Before Census
Supporters of Census Before NRC
Order of exercises
Supporters of NRC Before Census
The 14 organisations want an NRC updated first, followed by the census and any subsequent delimitation exercise.
Supporters of Census Before NRC
The Kuki-Zo Council wants an impartial census first to establish reliable demographic data.
Political representation
Supporters of NRC Before Census
The organisations say citizenship should be determined before population figures are used to redraw electoral constituencies, to prevent demographic changes from altering political representation.
Supporters of Census Before NRC
The Kuki-Zo Council has rejected the NRC-first demand as premature and unjustified.
Historical reference point
Supporters of NRC Before Census
The groups propose 1951 as the NRC base year, citing the first post-Independence Census and NRC in Manipur.
Supporters of Census Before NRC
The opposing position described in the report prioritises obtaining reliable current demographic data through the census before addressing the NRC demand.
- Organisations involved
- 14 civil society organisations
- Proposed NRC base year
- 1951
- First census phase
- House-listing and housing census from September 1 to 30
- Population enumeration
- Scheduled for February 2027
- Ethnic groups mentioned
- Meiteis, Nagas and Kuki-Zo people
- Opposing body
- The Kuki-Zo Council called the demand premature and unjustified
- Recent disruption
- A 48-hour shutdown affected normal life and census-related activities in parts of Manipur