Manipur government wants 1951 as base year for NRC implementation

Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam speaks in the House during a session of the State Assembly in Imphal on September 7, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

Manipur Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas on Monday (September 7, 2026) informed the 60-member assembly that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state would be updated using 1951 as the base year.

Manipur is divided over the NRC issue, due to which the Center recently postponed the census in the state. While Meitei and Naga organizations want NRC before census and delimitation, Kuki organizations termed it “premature and unwarranted”.

Mr. Govindas said that the State Government will continue to implement the NRC with the Center in accordance with the resolutions passed by the House. He cited certain numbers (2022, 2024 and September 2) to justify the resolutions.

He told the House that 14,992 of the 24,475 “illegal immigrants” detected in the state so far have been pushed back to Myanmar. Immigrants entered the country through three border districts — Chandel, Kamjong and Tengnoupal.

Manipur has been dealing with an influx of unregistered Myanmar nationals since a military coup in the neighboring country in February 2021.

Mr Govindas insisted the push-back process was being done through diplomatic channels and said the government had directed the relevant deputy commissioners to separate “illegal immigrants” from local Indian communities.

The Minister of Home Affairs further informed the House that the Government had on August 7, 2024 set up a 12-member panel under the leadership of former Minister Awangbow Newmae to detect and identify the influx of illegal immigrants and the unnatural growth of new villages. In this regard, a cabinet subcommittee was also established on February 16, 2023.

Kuki-Zo’s concerns

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex community body, on Monday urged the Center to conduct a census operation in the state, insisting that “politically motivated demands” should not stand in the way.

In a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the KZC said any decision regarding the NRC remained within the Centre’s constitutional and statutory powers and was not guided by “baseless” allegations of demographic change.

The organization also appealed to the Center to reinstate President’s Rule in Manipur if the state government continued to fail in its constitutional duty to protect all citizens, and to expedite political dialogue towards “separate governance” in the form of a Union Territory with legislation for the Kuki-Zo community.

“The Kuki-Zo people seek neither privilege nor preferential treatment. We seek equal protection, justice, security and a political future where our people can live with dignity and without fear,” the KZC said, pointing out that the Centre’s decision to postpone the census in Manipur was “very disturbing”.

The Naga MLA abstained

All Naga MLAs abstained from the final session of the Manipur Assembly on Monday, protesting the government’s failure to deliver justice in the Leilon Vaiphei abduction and killing case and inaction against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen over alleged links between her husband and the Kuki armed group.

Six Liangmai Naga residents of Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi District were reportedly abducted by Kuki extremists and killed. Their decomposed bodies were recovered on June 10.

“Our decision not to participate is that we do not want to sit with the Deputy Chief Minister who is associated with the KNF-P (Kuki National Front-Presidential). The main accused in the Leilon Vaiphei incident is her husband as there is enough evidence,” Naga MLA Awangbow Newmai told reporters in Imphal.

The Naga lawmakers also demanded that Mrs. Kipgen be removed from her position as Deputy Minister pending the conclusion of the investigation into her husband’s alleged involvement.

Published – 07 Sep 2026 22:29 IST