IMPHAL: The Convenor of 14 CSOs Kangleipak, Nahakpam Shanta, has welcomed the resolution adopted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly urging the Government of India to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC), calling it a significant achievement for the people of the state.
Speaking at a press meet held in Imphal, Shanta thanked the Manipur Legislative Assembly and its members for adopting the resolution and acknowledging the long-standing demand for the updation of the NRC.
He said the 14 CSOs, along with like-minded organisations including IPSA, KSA and others, have been working for a long time on the issue through documentation, discussions and lobbying with political leaders and administrative authorities.
Shanta said that while different organisations and activists have raised varying interpretations of the NRC issue, the position of the 14 CSOs is that an NRC was already prepared in 1951 and that the existing register should be updated.
“NRC was conducted in 1951 and it is supposed to be updated. This is the demand of the people of Manipur,” he said, adding that the Assembly’s reaffirmation of its earlier resolutions urging the Government of India to update the NRC was a major development for the state.
Referring to remarks made by Saikot MLA Paolianlal, Shanta also questioned claims regarding proportionate representation of tribal communities based on the 2001 Census. He maintained that a census is primarily a population count based on factors such as birth and migration and urged Paolianlal to provide legal and documentary evidence supporting his claims regarding migration and population figures.
Shanta said the 14 CSOs had earlier raised similar questions during a press meet in New Delhi and had sought documentary evidence regarding the origin and settlement of people who migrated to different parts of Manipur.
“We urge him to come forward with legal documents through proper channels so that the matter can be discussed on the basis of facts and records,” he said.
The 14 CSOs Convenor further appealed to the people of Manipur, civil society organisations, social activists and intellectuals to collectively reaffirm 1951 as the base year for the updation of the NRC in Manipur.
He acknowledged that some groups and elected representatives have suggested that the base year for NRC updation should be discussed or linked with a national framework. However, Shanta maintained that Manipur’s historical circumstances required the state to have 1951 as its reference point.
According to him, Manipur’s Inner Line or entry and exit permit system was abolished in 1950, while the Scheduled Tribes Order was also enacted during the same period.
Shanta further referred to the 1948 election held under the Manipur Constitution Act, during which 43 representatives were elected and five members were nominated by the then King. He claimed that records relating to villages and the population were subsequently transferred following Manipur’s merger with India.
Reiterating the stand of the 14 CSOs, Shanta said that whenever the Government of India decides to begin the process of updating the NRC in Manipur, the exercise should begin with 1951 as the base year.
