APRIL 04, 2026 (IMP): The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has collectively called for deferment of the census exercise in Manipur until IDPs return to their respective homes and normalcy is fully achieved in the state.
Addressing the media this afternoon at Congress Bhawan in Imphal on Saturday, the MPCC Chief and former CM Okram Ibobi said over 50,000 people have been rendered homeless in the state, sheltering in camps due to the conflict that began on May 3, 2023, and that a census exercise in such a situation will be a big task to obtain correct data.
The MPCC President said that, according to the last census data, the state has witnessed abnormal population growth in some districts, much above the national average. In order to bring correct data, apart from evolving development plans and policy, delimitation will be carried out based on its findings and data; executing delimitation in such conditions will also not be fair.
“If delimitation is done in such a situation, it may lead to a crisis, and during the past UPA rule, delimitation was deferred,” the state Congress chief stated.
The last census to the next exercise, carried out during 2001, has shown evident abnormal growth in terms of population. The average population growth at maximum is around 24 per cent in the country, whereas in the state of Manipur, the average is 12 per cent, 17 per cent in some districts, and 160 per cent to even 300 per cent in other districts, said the State Congress Chief.
Among the alarming issues is that the census is carried out widely in the country every 10 years since 1951. India has overtaken China in terms of population; such an exercise in such a large democratic country is not a small task. Statistical data is crucial, and executing it with correct data is a must.
In order to bring correct data, apart from evolving development plans and policy, delimitation will be carried out based on its findings and data. The last census to the next exercise, carried out during 2001, has shown evident abnormal growth in terms of population, with the national average at around 24 per cent, whereas in Manipur the average is 12 per cent, 17 per cent in some districts, and 160 per cent to even 300 per cent in other districts.
The census conducted after IDPs return to their respective houses will enable the collection of correct data. Special revision will be required for that. The conflict that began on May 3, 2023, has shattered the state, with normalcy yet to be fully achieved.
