Imphal, April 15 (IANS) The Opposition Congress in Manipur on Wednesday called for the deferment of the upcoming census exercise in the state, insisting that it should be postponed until normality is fully restored and all ethnic violence-affected Internally Displaced Persons can return to their native places.​

According to an earlier announcement by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, the processes of self-enumeration and the House Listing and Housing Census in Manipur are scheduled to begin on August 17 and continue until September 30 this year.​

In a memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, state Congress President Okram Ibobi Singh stated that between February 8 and April 10, at least eight people were killed in separate violent incidents across different districts. The victims included two children and a Border Security Force jawan.​

Singh, who served as Chief Minister for three terms from 2001 to 2017, also urged the government to expedite the investigation into the killing of two minor children in Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district on April 7 and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice within a defined timeframe.​

He further demanded the constitution of an Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to probe the firing incident in the same village that resulted in the deaths of three protesters on April 7.​

Highlighting the continuing unrest, Singh noted that violent clashes, accompanied by arson, have occurred between two communities in the Ukhrul district and Kamjong district. These incidents have led to the deaths of two individuals and have caused the closure of a key highway in the region since February 8.​

On April 10, a Border Security Force jawan, Mithun Mandal, was killed while on duty in Ukhrul district. He was reportedly attacked by suspected militants while carrying out Road Opening Party duties along with other Border Security Force personnel in the violence-affected area.​

The Congress memorandum further alleged that over the past three years, the Manipur Police has been rendered ineffective due to vested interests and administrative failures.

“We therefore demand that policing in Manipur be restored, reorganised, reformed, and strengthened as the primary institution responsible for maintaining law and order in the state,” it stated.​

Additionally, the party emphasised that the proposed census and delimitation exercises should be deferred until a fair and transparent process is carried out to distinguish citizens from non-citizens under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and until law and order is effectively restored.​

The Congress also called for the establishment of a Foreigners Tribunal in Manipur under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, to address concerns related to illegal immigration and foreign infiltration in the state.​

–IANS

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