The Manipur High Court has directed the central government to maintain the suspension of the Census 2027 in Manipur until April 30, 2027. The order, issued by a division bench comprising Justices M. Sundar and A. Guneshwar Sharma, aims to provide authorities with sufficient time to formally address significant concerns regarding the accuracy of the upcoming population count in the wake of prolonged ethnic violence and the resulting displacement of thousands of residents.
Under the court's mandate, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India are tasked with examining seven separate representations regarding the census. The bench has instructed these authorities to issue a reasoned order by the end of April next year. Furthermore, the court specified that the census process must remain in abeyance for an additional four weeks following the issuance of this decision. This buffer period is intended to grant individuals or organisations who may be dissatisfied with the outcome the opportunity to seek legal recourse.
The legal intervention follows a public interest litigation filed by the Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA) and the International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), alongside a separate petition from Shanta Singh Nahakpam. Petitioners contended that the census, if conducted under current circumstances, would fail to provide a precise demographic portrait of the state. They specifically highlighted the challenges in identifying internally displaced persons and the difficulties in accounting for their status during the data collection process.
The discourse surrounding the census has also been influenced by prior resolutions adopted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024. These resolutions had urged the government to introduce and implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) prior to moving forward with the census. The petitioners had requested that the high court postpone the exercise until these specific demographic concerns and the broader climate of displacement were adequately addressed by the state and central authorities.
Earlier this year, the Centre had informed the high court of its decision to defer house-listing operations for the census in Manipur, while the state government confirmed that it would not proceed with the exercise originally scheduled for September 1, 2026. Official notifications were subsequently issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on September 5 and October 30 to formalize these delays. The court noted that all parties involved reached a consensus on the necessity of evaluating the pending representations before the census proceedings can legally resume.
The court has further extended the opportunity for stakeholders, including the original petitioners, to submit additional representations until November 25, 2026. The authorities have been encouraged to consider conducting public consultations to address these grievances; should they choose not to do so, they are required to provide documented justifications for that decision. The final determination must be communicated to the legal counsel for the petitioners within five working days and subsequently published on the official government and Census Commissioner websites.
In its closing remarks, the bench commended the legal teams representing both sides, including the Advocate General and the Deputy Solicitor General of India, for their cooperative and balanced approach. By avoiding an adversarial tone, the court noted that all parties have prioritised the broader public and national interests, ensuring the process remains transparent and responsive to the unique challenges currently facing the state of Manipur.
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