IMPHAL: National People’s Party (NPP) MLA Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh has called for the updation and implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before the next Census, citing concerns over alleged illegal immigration and what he described as an “unnatural” rise in villages and electorates in Kuki-Zo-dominated areas.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Rameshwar said he had submitted representations on the issue to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior officials during a recent visit to Delhi.
The MLA claimed that the number of villages and electorates in Kuki-Zo-dominated areas had increased significantly between 1969 and 2023 and between 2012 and 2022, respectively. He said documents and data supporting his allegations of illegal immigration had been submitted to the Centre.
Rameshwar argued that the alleged presence of illegal immigrants should be identified before the Census to ensure a credible basis for future delimitation and electoral representation. He also called for the abolition of the Kuki kinship law, which he alleged contributed to illegal immigration.
The NPP MLA further argued that the Census could be postponed in Manipur due to the ongoing conflict, displacement and security concerns. Referring to the Census Act, 1948, he said there was no explicit provision preventing postponement and cited previous instances when the exercise had been deferred.
Rameshwar urged the Centre to consider completing the NRC exercise before conducting the population enumeration in Manipur.
