Union Govt has to be part of NRC exercise in Manipur: Konthoujam

Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam on Monday said the state Government alone cannot update the NRC, and the Centre has to be part of the exercise.

Responding to a query by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader K Meghachandra Singh at the assembly, Konthoujam said, “The National Register of Citizens (NRC) cannot be conducted solely and willingly by the state Government. The Government of India has to be part of the exercise.” He said the resolutions adopted by the state Assembly for NRC updation have been conveyed to the Centre.

“Following the resolutions taken by the state Assembly, the Manipur State Population Commission was formed. NRC cannot be easily done. It was conducted in Assam but could not be successfully put up in the public domain and was left in cold storage and before the court,” he said.

“The NRC exercise needs to be conducted properly, and the state Government is treating it cautiously so that it does not turn out like the one in Assam,” he added.

On the base year for the NRC, a demand that has been consistently raised by civil society organisations, Konthoujam said, “We have been clear that the base year would be 1951.”

Rejecting allegations that the Manipur State Population Commission was not functioning, he said, “It is working.”

During the discussion, Meghachandra also said, “Without a base year, a legal framework cannot be made. The base year 1951 should be reflected in the resolutions of the Assembly.”

To another query by Congress MLA K Ranjit Singh on the attacks at border villages in Kamjong district in May, Konthoujam said police are investigating the attacks on three border villages in Kamjong district by armed militants.

On May 7, armed militants attacked Z Choro, Namlee and Wanglee villages in Kamjong district bordering Myanmar.

Konthoujam said one person was injured and 23 houses were burnt in the attack. He said the state Government has assessed the damage in all three villages and the losses have been estimated at over Rs 5 crore, Konthoujam said, adding that reconstruction of the houses has already begun. Asked whether Myanmar-based rebel group KNF(B) was involved in the attack and arson, the minister said the investigation was still underway.

“It would be too early to comment on whether the said militant group was involved or not,” he said.