Imphal: The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has opposed demands for conducting the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before the Census, arguing that demographic concerns should first be assessed through verified population data.
In a statement issued on August 23, the KZC welcomed the decennial Census, delayed from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and said an impartial exercise was necessary amid competing population and demographic claims during the Manipur conflict.
The council also supported delimitation based on verified demographic data, saying it would help ensure fair representation.
On the NRC, the KZC said it was a national exercise and argued that neither a community nor the state government could independently decide to conduct an NRC in Manipur.
“There is no legitimate basis for any Manipur-based group or the State Government to dictate the timing or implementation of the national NRC exercise,” it said.
The council said demands for an NRC before the Census were largely based on allegations and speculation about the Kuki-Zo community and should instead be assessed against official demographic data generated through the Census.
“Demanding an NRC before the completion and publication of Census 2027 results is premature and unjustified,” the KZC said.
It cited Assam’s NRC exercise conducted under the Assam Accord of 1985, noting that around 19 lakh people were excluded from the final list and that the process remained subject to legal challenges and pending appeals before Foreigners Tribunals.
The KZC urged all stakeholders to allow the Census to proceed without obstruction, respect the Centre’s authority over the NRC and avoid using demographic issues for “communal propaganda or victimisation”.
