Thadou Inpi Seeks Census Delay, Rejects Selective Consultation

Imphal, August 10, 2026: The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), apex body of the Thadou tribe in Manipur, has expressed strong disappointment over the state government’s decision to invite only the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) and 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) for a follow-up meeting on the outcome of the two-day Consultative Meeting-cum-Seminar on Manipur’s Demographic Profile.

In a media release issued on Monday, TIM said the statewide seminar had provided communities and organisations an equal opportunity to present their observations and recommendations. It said participants had collectively expressed concern that a credible Census in Manipur was not feasible under the prevailing law-and-order situation and continuing displacement of people.

TIM said the exclusive follow-up meeting involving JFD under the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and the 14 CSOs defeated the purpose of the state-sponsored consultation and raised concerns over the fairness and inclusiveness of the process.

The organisation also criticised the absence of competent authorities, particularly the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, during the two-day consultation. It described the organisation of the seminar as an “eyewash”, alleging poor planning, lack of preparedness and a hurried approach, particularly with the Census reportedly scheduled to commence on August 17.

TIM urged the Manipur government, led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, to stop seeking support from selected organisations for conducting Census 2027. It instead appealed to the Government of India to defer the Census in Manipur until normalcy is fully restored.

The organisation said the integrity of Manipur’s demographic data was “non-negotiable” and must not be compromised. It called for the restoration of normalcy, effective governance, safe rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), due constitutional process regarding the Scheduled Tribes List, and updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before any Census is conducted.

TIM further stated that conducting a Census without fulfilling these conditions would lack credibility and public confidence and could compromise Manipur’s demographic and historical record. It therefore called upon the Centre to defer or cancel the Census in Manipur until the conditions are met.

In its concluding statement, TIM reiterated its position that Thadou is a distinct ethnic group and not Kuki or part of Kuki, citing the Thadou Convention, 2024.