New Delhi: The Meitei Alliance has urged the Centre and Manipur government to delay the census until people displaced by the ethnic violence can return to their original homes.
The group said conducting the census now could produce a distorted demographic picture because the May 2023 conflict displaced more than 50,000 people and changed population patterns across the state.
It warned that such data could have long term consequences and potentially deepen ethnic divisions. The alliance called for the “safe and dignified” return of internally displaced persons before census enumeration begins.
The demand comes amid separate concerns over Manipur’s electoral rolls, with allegations of inconsistencies in names, addresses, identification details and relationship classifications.
The Meitei Kuki conflict has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced thousands. The alliance maintains that rehabilitation and the return of displaced residents should come before the census to ensure accurate population data.
