Manipur civil voluntary organisations and students’ body jointly submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday, demanding to take urgent cabinet decision not to conduct the delimitation of assembly constituencies of the state based on 2001 census.
In a press conference held at the office of International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA) on Monday, IPSA president Joychandra Konthoujam said that they have been urging to state government and authority concerned not to conduct delimitation until and unless fresh census is being carried out by using satellite images or geo tech and records of AADHAR card as well.
About the initiative taken up by civil bodies against the delimitation based on census 2001 and 2011, he said that four civil bodies and a student body have filed a PIL against five officials of state government and government of India on June 16 and 17 at the High Court of Manipur.
The organisations are IPSA, PAMDM, ACOAM Lup Kangleipak, IPAK and KSA, he added.
He said that they do not oppose any delimitation work in the state if it is being based on 2021 census report. There are lot of flaws in 2001 and 2011 census data and has been clearly proven by imbalance in the growth of population in nine sub-divisions of the state such as Mao Maram, Paomata, Saitu Gamphazol, Chakpikarong, Machi, Chandel Head Quarter, Kasom Khullen and Moreh, he stated.
He continued that carrying out delimitation based on previous data will affect the implementation of national policies and plans effectively. For the sake of future generations and promotion of balance in development in the hills and the valley, the authority concerned should carry out a delimitation process based on scientific and fresh data.
Supplementing to the media conference, president, PAMDMM Y Dillipkumar recalled that the Delimitation Commission of India dropped out the delimitation process of Manipur by admitting that population has increased double times from the data of Census 2001 in the mentioned sub-divisions.
The Commission also halted the delimitation process until 2026 which is to be operated after a fresh census of 2021, he said. In 2007, the Gauhati High Court had a decree not to conduct delimitation of the state based on 2001 census due to its error in data, he added.
He continued that despite having such an understanding, the announcement made on February 28 to conduct delimitation was very unfortunate. The leaders of the state should intervene on the matter and convene an urgent cabinet decision to move to the government of India and delimitation Commission for maintaining status quo of the existing assembly constituency until 2026.
