Demographic Erasure In Manipur: BJP Forces Census On Burned Homes To Lock In Forced Displacement

Congress Demands Immediate Census Postponement In Manipur

The Manipur Congress party has strongly urged the Indian government to immediately stop all census operations in the state until normalcy is restored and thousands of displaced people return home. Manipur Congress president Okram Ibobi Singh clearly stated during a press conference that conducting a house listing exercise is impossible when thousands of citizens are living in temporary relief camps across hill and valley areas. Trying to record population numbers in a region broken by ethnic violence will only generate wrong data that ignores the ground reality. The government must focus on rebuilding destroyed homes and helping families return to their native places before starting any official counting process.

Over 60000 People Face Terrible Displacement Conditions

Ethnic clashes that broke out in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have completely shattered the social fabric of Manipur. Official reports confirm that over 260 people have been killed and more than 60000 citizens remain stuck in relief camps without permanent housing. Independent human rights organizations estimate the total displacement figure to be nearly 78000 individuals across Manipur and nearby regions. More than 4700 residential homes were destroyed or looted during the violence along with nearly 400 churches and over 130 temples. People cannot travel between different community districts due to strict ethnic boundaries and security risks. Field enumerators cannot visit destroyed villages or count missing families under these dangerous conditions.

Counting Displaced Families Threatens Ancestral Land Rights

Conducting official house listing while citizens live in relief camps creates a huge risk of erasing their ancestral property claims. If census workers register displaced individuals inside temporary shelters rather than at their original home locations they officially decouple citizens from their traditional land. This administrative error effectively benefits those attackers who burned down villages to drive communities away from their property. National census statistics directly determine future electoral boundaries public funding and regional development grants. Using population figures gathered during active displacement will permanently lock in the results of forced separation and harm vulnerable citizens who lost their houses.

Protests Demand Citizenship Register Implementation First

Public agitation in Imphal has intensified with student organizations demanding the implementation of a National Register of Citizens before any census activity starts. Demonstrators gathered outside census offices to demand strict checks against illegal immigration across international borders before taking any population counts. Security forces used tear gas and physical force to disperse torch rallies held across Imphal East and Imphal West districts. These aggressive street protests demonstrate deep public distrust toward official administration and data gathering. Running a household survey in such an unstable environment will only spark more anger and put government enumerators in severe danger.

Complete Breakdown Of Local Government Administration

The public administration system has completely collapsed in critical conflict zones including Churachandpur Imphal East Imphal West Bishnupur Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi. Schools healthcare centers and local government offices are unable to operate normally due to continuous security threats and territorial blockage. Free movement between hill and valley districts remains impossible for ordinary citizens and local officials alike. A reliable census requires total stability complete access to all homes and public trust in administrative workers. When local government machinery fails to guarantee safety or basic movement any census data collected will be flawed and inaccurate.

Priority Must Be Resettlement Before Any Population Count

The central government must listen to opposition demands and immediately defer all census exercises in Manipur until safety and peace return. The immediate priority in the state should be stopping violence rebuilding damaged infrastructure and providing proper compensation to affected families. Displaced citizens deserve a safe return to their original villages before any government official comes to count their households. Only when freedom of movement is restored and all communities live without fear can an official census produce accurate and reliable figures. Attempting to run administrative counts during active human suffering is unjust and unacceptable for the affected citizens.