Tribal Youth Council Manipur Opposes Inclusion of Tribal Members in BJP’s Delimitation Committee

Ukhrul, April 4: The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) has strongly objected to the inclusion of tribal members in the State Level Committee on Delimitation formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Manipur Pradesh. The objection comes following an Office Memorandum dated April 3, 2025, which lists 13 members of the committee, including three tribal individuals.

The tribal members named in the memorandum are Dipu Gangmei (MLA, Nungba), Jonathan Tao (State Vice President, BJP Manipur Pradesh), and Preshow Shimray (State Spokesperson, BJP Manipur Pradesh). TYCM in a press release argues that the inclusion of these individuals is “baseless, invalid and meaningless” in light of the party’s stance against the delimitation exercise.

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The BJP Manipur Pradesh had earlier convened a meeting on April 1, 2025, where it passed a resolution opposing the delimitation exercise based on the 2001 Census. The party cited abnormal population growth detected in certain districts as a cause for concern. This resolution was reported by The Sangai Express on April 2, 2025.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, TYCM questioned the rationale behind constituting a committee on delimitation after the party had publicly opposed the process. The council further urged the three tribal individuals named in the committee to clarify their positions, stating that accepting the appointments implies agreement with the party’s resolution—something TYCM believes contradicts the interests of the tribal population in Manipur.

TYCM said it reaffirmed its support for the delimitation exercise, citing the directive issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on March 17, 2025. A bench led by the Chief Justice had directed the Union Government to complete the long-pending delimitation process within three months in four northeastern states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland.

The council stressed that the Government of India has already addressed discrepancies in the 2001 Census and has released the corrected figures in official gazette notifications. It added that the subsequent 2011 Census was conducted with greater scrutiny and accuracy, reflecting a national population of 1.21 billion.

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Asserting that the Constitution and the rule of law must be upheld, TYCM called on the Government of India and the Election Commission to implement the Supreme Court’s directive without further delay. It warned that failure to comply could undermine public confidence in the judiciary, which it described as the “ultimate guardian of justice and constitutional rights.”

The Tribal Youth Council concluded by welcoming and endorsing the Supreme Court’s directive, urging swift and impartial implementation of the delimitation process across the affected northeastern states.