Overview
- The 14 Meitei civil society organisations said at a New Delhi press conference on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, that they will not allow Census 2027 operations in Manipur unless the National Register of Citizens is updated first.
- A delegation that visited New Delhi from July 5–7 met Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and senior Home Ministry officials and reported that the Centre agreed to discuss the demand with the Manipur government but made no formal commitment or timetable.
- The groups want the NRC updated using 1951 as the baseline to identify what they describe as illegal migrants from neighbouring Myanmar and other areas and have asked the Centre to withhold final population figures and pause any delimitation until that process is complete.
- Kuki‑Zo and other communities dispute the migration narrative, arguing the conflict stems from political and constitutional grievances rather than cross‑border influx, so the NRC push has deepened existing ethnic and political tensions in the state.
- The demand builds on post‑May 2023 violence and requests to the High‑Level Committee on Demographic Changes, and it could delay census data, stall delimitation of assembly and parliamentary seats, and prolong uncertainty for displaced families and local governance.