Manipur activists oppose delimitation, demand NRC first

Imphal: The Supreme Court's decision to grant the Union Government three months to carry out the delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam has raised concerns among social and political activists in Manipur.

Calling the directive "unfortunate and untimely" for the conflict-ridden state, social activist Sanjoy Ahanthem stated that implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) first would be a better step before delimitation. He emphasized the need to detect and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar before redrawing electoral boundaries. The Manipur government has set up a Population Commission and urged the Centre to conduct the NRC exercise.

Ahanthem called on political parties, civil society organizations, legal experts, student bodies, and scholars to reach a unanimous decision on the issue for Manipur’s future.

The Population Commission aims to determine the state’s indigenous population and identify illegal immigrants. The 1961 Inner Line Permit has been set as the base year, meaning those who arrived before 1961 will be considered permanent settlers, while those arriving after 1961 will not.

Dr N Nara Singh, former cabinet minister and leader of the CPI Manipur State Council, supported the demand to implement NRC first. He reiterated his party’s long-standing call for three Lok Sabha constituencies in Manipur, instead of the current two Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur.

Activists and political leaders continue to push for a structured approach, ensuring proper identification of citizens before any delimitation process begins in the state.