Imphal: The Congress on Thursday sought the postponement of the 2027 Census in Manipur, arguing that continuing violence and large-scale displacement make an accurate headcount impossible and would add to the suffering of those rendered homeless since communal unrest began in the State on May 3, 2023, the party said.
Party raises formal plea in Parliament and to Home Ministry
Inner Manipur MP A. Bimol Akoijam told a press conference in Delhi that nearly 60,000 people remained without homes, many sheltered in relief camps, and that the destruction of property and villages since the outbreak of violence made fair house listing impractical. He said more than 10,000 houses had been destroyed.
The Congress clarified it was seeking a postponement, not cancellation, of the Census in the State until conditions were conducive for proper enumeration. Mr. Akoijam said he had raised the matter in Parliament under Rule 377 and written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"Accurate house listing of thousands of homeless people living in relief camps is practically impossible. To conduct the Census in these circumstances would be to compound the injustice and humiliation suffered by the people of Manipur," Mr. Akoijam said.
Calls for NRC to precede Census
The Congress MP also reiterated the party's demand that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process be completed in Manipur before the Census is taken. He cited concerns over alleged illegal migration across the Myanmar border and pressed for the constitution of Foreigners Tribunals to identify non-citizens in the State.
Mr. Akoijam pointed to disputed population figures after the 2001 and 2011 Censuses, saying those issues needed resolution ahead of fresh enumeration. He argued that proceeding with a Census while thousands remain displaced would risk producing unreliable data that could affect future planning and representation.
Context: security, campaigns and civic disruption
The request comes amid visible agitation in the State over the NRC and delimitation. Security was deployed during a campaign by the group Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), which has demanded NRC updation before Census 2027, an image credited to ANI showed.
The move to seek postponement places the Centre in a difficult position: the Census is a nationwide constitutional exercise, but conducting it in regions affected by conflict raises practical and ethical questions about accuracy and consent of those enumerated.
Data at a glance
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| People reportedly homeless since May 3, 2023 violence | Nearly 60,000 |
| Houses reportedly destroyed | More than 10,000 |
| Violence began | 3 May 2023 |
Implications for policymakers and affected communities
Accurate census data underpins planning for welfare, infrastructure, electoral rolls and resource allocation. The Congress argument rests on the proposition that an enumeration taken while a substantial segment of the population remains displaced would undercount affected households and misrepresent demographic distributions.
Questions raised over earlier Census rounds in 2001 and 2011, cited by the Congress, add political sensitivity to timing and methodology. A delayed Census would also have administrative consequences, requiring adjustments to national schedules and logistics already being planned for the 2027 exercise.
What the party wants
- Postponement of the Census in Manipur until normalcy returns and displaced persons can be properly enumerated.
- Completion of the NRC process in the State before any fresh Census.
- Constitution of Foreigners Tribunals to identify non-citizens, according to Congress demands.
The source material does not include a response from the State government or the Union Home Ministry. The Congress statement described its move as a plea for procedural fairness and accuracy rather than an objection to the Census per se.
With the State and Centre yet to publicly respond to the request, the debate on whether and how the Census should proceed in Manipur is likely to attract close attention from policymakers, humanitarians and political actors ahead of the 2027 national enumeration.
