The Census process in Manipur, scheduled to commence from September 1, has been deferred until further orders.
The High Court also withheld the house-listing exercise, which had been ordered to begin from August 17, with the process to remain on hold until further notification from the Registrar General of India.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice M. Sundar and Justice A. Guneswar Sharma heard petitions seeking directions for updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census and measures to address alleged illegal migration.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Shanta Nahakpam, leader of 14 Valley-based Civil Society Organisations, said the matters before the court comprised two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and one writ petition. He said the PILs were filed by the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) and the Indigenous People’s Society of Kangleipak (IPSA), while the writ petition was filed by him.
According to Shanta, the petitions reflected the demand that Indian citizens should first be identified through NRC updation before the Census is conducted and before any delimitation exercise takes place. The petitions sought updation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year and measures to address alleged threats from illegal migration, particularly from neighbouring Myanmar.
He said the demand had triggered prolonged agitation across Manipur over the past two to three months, during which several shutdowns were observed and protesters also sustained injuries.
The detailed order of the High Court is expected to be available shortly, following which the specific directions of the court will become clear.
The next hearing has been scheduled for October 12, 2026.
