MPCC demands Census deferment, flags risk of ‘distorted data’ amid ongoing crisis

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has mounted a sharp attack on the Centre, demanding immediate deferment of the Census exercise in Manipur until normalcy is restored and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are resettled.
Addressing the media at Congress Bhavan, senior Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh warned that proceeding with the Census under prevailing conditions would produce “distorted and unreliable data,” as thousands continue to remain displaced due to the ongoing conflict.
He asserted that the Census, being the foundation for national policy formulation and resource allocation, cannot be conducted in a compromised environment. “If carried out in the present situation, the exercise will fail to reflect the actual population and ground realities of the state,” he said.
Taking a broader political line, Ibobi Singh pointed out that while India has maintained a decennial Census tradition since 1951, the current circumstances in Manipur render the process inherently flawed. He cautioned that inaccurate enumeration could have long-term consequences on governance, development planning, and representation.
The Congress leader also revisited concerns arising from the 2011 Census, noting that certain districts in Manipur had recorded abnormally high population growth rates far exceeding the national average. He said such anomalies had earlier compelled the Congress to oppose delimitation exercises, warning that flawed data could skew political representation and deepen existing tensions.
He further questioned the efficacy of proposals such as Special Intensive Revision ahead of the Census, arguing that such measures would be inadequate in capturing the realities on the ground as long as large sections of the population remain displaced.
Calling for a political consensus, Ibobi Singh urged the Centre to postpone the Census in Manipur until stability is fully restored. He added that the Congress is open to participating in an all-party meeting to deliberate on the issue, but maintained that any exercise conducted under the present conditions would lack credibility.
The demand comes amid continuing uncertainty in the state, with displacement and security concerns still affecting large sections of the population, raising serious questions over the feasibility of conducting a comprehensive and credible Census.