Dimapur, September 29 (MExN): The Government of Manipur has allegedly issued orders to reduce the decadal growth rate of tribal in the hill districts of Manipur, in the current census 2011. The United Naga Council said to have come to know that the Okram Ibobi Singh-led Manipur government is attempting to tamper the census by stipulating the percentage.
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India is urged to urgently look into the matter and intervene.
“It has come to our knowledge that the Government of Manipur has issued instructions to the state machinery engaged in the ongoing 2011 census exercise to arbitrarily reduce the decadal growth rate for the hill districts of the State of Manipur, notwithstanding the actual projections drawn up from the field…” the United Naga Council (UNC) alleged today in a letter to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
The stipulated percentages attempted to reduce the growth were for Tamenglong (from the field enumeration of 28% reduced to 20%), Churachandpur (from 28% to 20%), Ukhrul (from 27% to 16.8%), Chandel (from 40% to 17%) and Senapati (from 100% to 17%).
“It may be noted that a clear socio-political divide has taken place between the communal Government of Manipur and the tribal people who inhabit the 5 hill districts in the state, and manipulations of facts and positions as indicated above are the fueling reasons for the same, as they are done to deprive the tribals of their rights in terms of representation and the benefits of development programmes and policies,” the UNC said.
~ THE MORUNG EXPRESS Via Zolengthe