Manipur census deferment has come under fresh scrutiny from the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), which has described the Centre’s latest notification as incomplete and sought further rectification.
The JFD has welcomed the decision to defer the Census 2027 house-listing exercise in Manipur but said the notification does not fully address the organisation’s demands. It has also renewed its call for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year.
JFD seeks clarity on census deferment
The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Office of the Registrar General of India, issued a notification on September 5 formally deferring house-listing operations for Census 2027 in Manipur. The order amended an earlier January 7 notification by adding the words “except the State of Manipur till further declaration.”
The move followed a high-level meeting on August 31 involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other officials. The meeting decided to defer the census exercise in the state.
However, the JFD had criticised the delay in issuing a formal notification after that meeting. It had argued that public statements about deferment were not enough without an official government order.
Manipur census deferment linked to NRC demand
The JFD has consistently maintained that the census should take place only after the NRC is updated. The organisation wants 1951 to be used as the base year for the proposed exercise.
On September 2, the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed another resolution urging the Centre to update the NRC before conducting the census. However, the JFD says the resolution did not explicitly mention 1951 as the base year.
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba has therefore called for the Assembly resolution to be rectified. He has also urged the state government to send a high-level team to the Centre and seek an official announcement on the 1951 base year.
The organisation has further demanded a white paper setting out a clear timeline for the NRC update and called for the immediate reconstitution of the Manipur State Population Commission.
Why the notification is being questioned
The JFD’s objection is not to the deferment itself. Rather, it concerns what the organisation sees as gaps in the government’s response.
The latest notification specifically defers the house-listing operation in Manipur “till further declaration”. It does not set a fresh date for the exercise. As a result, the JFD wants greater clarity on what steps will follow before the census resumes.
The organisation has also argued that the state needs a defined process for NRC updation. Its position is that demographic data should be collected only after citizenship records have been properly addressed.
The issue has remained politically sensitive because Manipur is still dealing with the effects of prolonged ethnic conflict and displacement. Different communities have expressed competing views on the NRC and census process, making official clarity particularly important.
JFD keeps pressure on state government
The latest Manipur census deferment has not ended the JFD’s campaign. Instead, the organisation has announced further public mobilisation around its demands.
According to the JFD, a “People’s Voice” programme is scheduled for September 6, while supporters have also been asked to gather on September 7 to assess the Assembly’s decisions. The organisation plans to raise slogans including “No NRC, No Census” and demand that the 1951 base year be reflected in the Assembly’s NRC resolution.
The JFD has also called for a definite timeframe for updating the NRC and a comprehensive state population policy to address concerns over demographic changes.
What comes next for Manipur
The Manipur census deferment now gives the Centre and the state government additional time to address the demands surrounding the NRC. Yet, the JFD has made clear that deferment alone will not end its campaign.
For the government, the immediate challenge is to provide clarity on the next stage of the census and explain how the NRC issue will be handled. Meanwhile, the JFD is pressing for a formal commitment on the 1951 base year, a defined NRC roadmap and greater transparency.
The Centre’s notification has formally settled one immediate question by deferring house-listing in Manipur. However, the continuing JFD campaign shows that the larger debate over citizenship records, demographic data and the timing of the census remains unresolved.
