Imphal/Guwahati: A prominent civil society group in Manipur has urged the Central government to defer the upcoming Census 2027 exercise in the state, citing the prevailing unrest, security concerns and mass displacement of people that make the process “impracticable and unreliable” in the current situation.
In a memorandum submitted to Governor AK Bhalla, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) highlighted that continuing law and order challenges, restricted movement, ongoing curfews and inaccessible habitations across several districts would severely hinder accurate data collection.
Signed by JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba, the memorandum warned that deploying census personnel under such volatile conditions would not only endanger their safety but also compromise the quality of the enumeration process.
According to the JFD, ongoing conflicts, alleged activities of “armed illegal immigrants”, and continuous unrest have led to largescale internal displacement in the state. Thousands of residents have either taken shelter in temporary relief camps or migrated to other regions, creating a highly unstable demographic situation.
The organisation further stated that the administrative machinery in many parts of Manipur is functioning with reduced capacity, making proper planning, coordination and supervision of the census exercise nearly impossible. It added that the presence of undocumented immigrants raises serious concerns about demographic verification, potentially distorting population data and affecting future governance, security assessments and resource allocation.
The memorandum stressed that Manipur has been effectively divided into “de facto ethnic zones” since May 2023, making several regions inaccessible to government enumerators. Over 60,000 people are reportedly living in relief camps, many homes have been destroyed, and displaced communities remain scattered across districts or outside the state.
Under such circumstances, JFD said, even defining a person’s “usual residence” becomes ambiguous. With census staff—mainly school teachers and local officials—unable to move freely due to fear, lack of cooperation, or absence in sensitive areas, the integrity of the census would be seriously compromised.
Calling the current atmosphere unsuitable for any nationwide enumeration exercise, the JFD warned that conducting the census without prior corrective measures would result in a “faulty and futile” exercise and could further aggravate the crisis. It appealed to the Centre to postpone the census until peace is restored and a neutral, stable environment allows for accurate and fair demographic assessment.
“Postponing the census until a peaceful environment is restored is not only an administrative requirement but also a constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure justice, equality, and accuracy,” the memorandum stated.