MMTU terms CM’s NRC–Census stand misleading

The Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has expressed strong reservations over the Chief Minister’s recent statement that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) can only be undertaken after the completion of the Census, citing Assam as a precedent.
A statement by Takhellambam Parijat Meitei, Secretary (Organisation) MMTU, stated that the Chief Minister’s claim was not based on factual precedent and described it as misleading. It further pointed out that the Chief Minister had earlier made statements during the March Assembly session concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Census which, according to the Union, appeared inconsistent.
According to the MMTU, such statements on a matter of public importance had led to confusion among the people. It maintained that there exists no mandatory provision requiring the Census to be conducted prior to the implementation of the NRC.
Referring to the experience of Assam, the Union stated that the NRC process there had been initiated following a directive of the Supreme Court, with a Gazette Notification issued in 2013. It noted that the process commenced in 2015 and was completed in 2019. It also mentioned that census for Assam was held in 2011, the next Census, originally due in 2021, is now expected to be conducted across the country in 2026. The Union added that the Assam NRC was carried out in accordance with the Assam Accord, adopting March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date and relying on 14 legacy documents for verification.
The MMTU further stated that the NRC exercise in Assam had categorised individuals into Assamese citizens, Indian citizens and foreigners. It claimed that around 40 lakh individuals were initially excluded from the draft list, while subsequent scrutiny by Foreigners Tribunals brought down the number of identified foreigners to approximately 31 lakh, with later revisions indicating around 19 lakh.
On the question of Manipur, the Union asserted that any NRC exercise in the state should adopt 1951 as the base year. It explained that such a process would classify residents into Manipur citizens, Indian citizens and foreigners.
It further stated that Indian citizens could reside in the state under the Inner Line Permit system, taking 1961 as a reference year, while foreigners would be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, including deportation.
The Union reiterated that conducting the Census prior to NRC was not a necessary condition. Instead, it suggested that the NRC could be undertaken first, followed by the Census, with appropriate guidelines to ensure that individuals identified as foreign nationals are excluded from Census enumeration.
In its statement, the MMTU also raised concerns over what it described as ongoing illegal immigration from Myanmar into Manipur. It alleged that such movements had been facilitated by armed Kuki groups operating along the border, as well as by a lack of effective intervention from authorities. The Union further claimed that some of these individuals had been granted constitutional safeguards, including Scheduled Tribe status, and attributed their continued presence partly to vote-bank politics.
Citing provisions of the Immigrants and Foreigners Act, 2025, particularly Section 28, the Union stated that the state government possesses the authority to identify and take legal action against illegal immigrants. However, it alleged that no substantial action had been undertaken so far. It also referred to the absence of enforcement under existing legal frameworks such as the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Passport Act, 1922.
The MMTU additionally claimed that illegal immigrants from Myanmar, particularly among Kuki groups, had occupied significant portions of land in districts including Tengnoupal, Chandel and Pherzawl. It alleged that the population of such groups had been increasing steadily and that land belonging to indigenous communities was being encroached upon.
The Union urged the government to treat the issue of illegal immigration as a central concern and to take decisive and immediate measures to address what it described as a serious and escalating situation in Manipur.