Meitei Groups Demand NRC in Manipur Before 2027 Census, Meet Union Home Ministry Officials

In wake of this demand of Meitei groups, tribal groups including the Kuki-Zo and Nagas have expressed concern that the NRC could be misused to target their communities.

The Wire Staff

In wake of this demand of Meitei groups, tribal groups including the Kuki-Zo and Nagas have expressed concern that the NRC could be misused to target their communities.

meitei groups demand nrc in manipur before 2027 census meet union home ministry officials

Women stage a sit-in protest under the banner of various Naga and Meitei groups at Khwairamband Ima Keithel, demanding that the Manipur government convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss measures for restoring peace and abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, in Imphal, Manipur, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Meitei civil society organisations in Manipur have urged the Union Home Ministry to conduct a National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the 2027 census. At least 14 such Meitei groups have said that the NRC is necessary to find a permanent solution to the conflict in the state that is ongoing since May 2023, reported The Telegraph.

In wake of this demand of Meitei groups, tribal groups including the Kuki-Zo and Nagas have expressed concern that the NRC could be misused to target their communities.

“During our meeting with the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, we stated our position that the solution to the present situation in Manipur can only be resolved by identifying who are the genuine Indian citizens and who are illegal immigrants in the state,” the 14 Meitei civil society groups said in a statement issued in Delhi on Wednesday (July 8).

Earlier, a delegation of the Meitei community had met Union Home Ministry officials and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner and presented their long-standing demand as well as issues related to demographic changes.

“In our meeting with joint secretary (foreigners) Mahatma Sandeep Namdeo, we presented data that Manipur has a long history of cross-border influx mainly from the Indo-Myanmar border for more than 70 years,” said the statement.

The delegation claimed that numerous tribes had entered India after taking advantage of Scheduled Tribe lists under the Scheduled Tribes Order of 1950.

“There is a need for a thorough study of demographic changes in Manipur, due to which various communities have started demanding separate administration or greater autonomy. We strongly believe that the present conflict in Manipur is because of illegal immigrants who claim to be Indian citizens,” said the Meitei groups’ statement.

The Meitei groups have maintained that an NRC is necessary to “detect and deport” "illegal migrants", who had settled after 1951 to address the concerns of the “original inhabitants”.

Over the past three years, the ethnic conflict in Manipur has claimed over 250 lives, displaced tens of thousands of people and also resulted in casualties among personnel of Union forces and the Manipur police.

This article went live on July ninth, two thousand twenty six, at forty-four minutes past twelve at noon.

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