Manipur Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba has urged the Union Government of India to detect and deport illegal immigrants in the state based on 1961 as the cut-off year, ahead of any census exercise in Manipur, as the state has witnessed an abnormal increase in population in various subdivisions.
It would be very unfortunate for the indigenous people of Manipur if the census operation is carried out before detection, identification, and deportation of illegal immigrants, as it may cause social unrest and could result in the forfeiture of the constitutional rights of indigenous Manipuris, the Rajya Sabha MP said in the house today.
As census data is very important for planning developmental works and for the future delimitation process, the MP urged the Union Government to detect and deport illegal foreign nationals first based on 1961 as the cut-off year for census and delimitation.
The MP further said that the Census reports of 2001 and 2011 in Manipur have become controversial, raising questions from various quarters due to the abnormal increase in population, but no ratification has been made so far. In three subdivisions of Senapati division, around a 202.88 percent increase was recorded in 2001 and 2011. Also, census reports from 1991 and 2001 showed a 40 percent abnormal population increase in seven subdivisions of Manipur.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had already asked for detection of illegal immigrants with effect from May 19, 2025, but no concrete steps have been taken for the state. Conducting the census exercise before settling the issue of illegal immigrants will cause social unrest in the state and lead to the forfeiture of constitutional rights of every indigenous Manipuri, as well as affecting the delimitation process, the MP said in the house.
Above all, the Census reports of 2001 and 2011 for Manipur have become controversial from many angles due to abnormal population increases, but no ratification has been made so far. In three subdivisions of Senapati division, around a 202.88 percent increase was recorded in 2001 and 2011. Similarly, census reports of 1991 and 2001 showed a 40 percent abnormal population increase in seven subdivisions of Manipur. The MP urged the Union Government to detect and deport illegal foreign nationals first based on 1961 as the cut-off year for census and delimitation.
