Silence in the face of demographic change is not neutrality. It is consent.
Today, a critical question confronts the indigenous Naga people in Manipur and beyond: If the National Register of Citizens [NRC] update does not precede the Census exercise, there is a high and real possibility that the demographic balance of Manipur will be altered irreversibly. With ongoing conflicts in Myanmar, millions of Kuki-Zo refugees have fled across the border and settled in various places across India, including the hills of Manipur. Without proper documentation, verification, and accountability, the true population of the State cannot be known. And what is not counted cannot be protected.
This is not about hatred. This is about law, truth, land, and survival. This is about the plight of the indigenous Nagas of Manipur.
God remembers His people by name
Scripture is clear: God is a God of records and of remembrance. He numbered Israel in the wilderness. He counted the tribes. He preserved a remnant. “The Lord knows those who are His” [2 Timothy 2:19].
A census without verification is like building a house without a foundation. A count without citizenship is like inviting strangers to divide an inheritance. Morally and Biblically, every people has a right to be known, to be protected, and to inherit what was entrusted to their fathers. To allow undocumented influx to be counted as citizens is to betray the blood of forefathers and the future of children.
The indigenous Naga people are a covenant people. Our land was given by God and defended by our ancestors. Responsibility is therefore not a political strategy. It is a sacred duty to ensure that the count is true, the records are clean, and the inheritance is not stolen by silence and refugees.
Why NRC must precede census
Factually and logically, the sequence matters. Census counts who is present. NRC determines who is a citizen. If Census comes first, then every person present — refugees, migrants, infiltrators, or citizens — will be counted equally. That number will then become the basis for delimitation, political representation, allocation of resources, and development for the next decade.
If, as is being reported, millions of Kuki-Zo refugees have entered India due to the Myanmar conflict and have settled in various places including the Naga hills, then without NRC, there is a high chance that this undocumented population will be reflected in the Census. The result will be profound: Illegal Kuki-Zo refugee populations outnumber Nagas in key districts of Manipur. Representation will shift. Land pressure will increase. Political narratives will change.
This is not speculation. This is arithmetic. This is history. Demography is destiny when law is absent.
Retrospectively, we have seen how unchecked migration and lack of documentation have altered the social and political landscape of border states. Tripura is a living example, where the indigenous people have become the minority in their own State and ancestral land from time immemorial. Introspectively, we must ask: Why have Naga village chiefs and CSOs remained largely silent on the demand for NRC update? Is this issue only for the Meiteis? The answer must be no. Because the consequence will fall first and hardest on the indigenous Naga villages.
The three critical impacts
- Land and Territorial Integrity
Many Kuki refugees who lived in the valley have been displaced and are now reportedly sheltering in the Naga hills. When people settle without land records, without village consent, and without legal process, it becomes a strategic corridor that threatens Naga ancestral land, jhum fields, forests, and boundaries.
NRC before Census is the only lawful, prudent, and powerful way to distinguish between citizen and non-citizen, between resident and refugee, between those with rights and those needing humanitarian assistance. Without it, we face slow annexation by settlement.
- Political Representation and Delimitation
Census data drives delimitation. If the count is inflated by undocumented persons, Naga constituencies will shrink in influence. Naga voices in the Assembly, in Autonomous District Councils, and in resource allocation will be diminished. This is not politics of emotion. This is politics of numbers. And numbers without truth are weapons. - Social Cohesion and Security
A society that does not know who its citizens are cannot guarantee peace. It breeds suspicion, competition for resources, and conflict. Empathetically, we must provide humanitarian aid to those fleeing war. But compassion without law becomes chaos. Assertively and wisely, the Naga people must demand that humanitarianism and citizenship be separated through due process.
Call to action
The question is no longer “Why are others talking about NRC?” The question is “Why are we silent over this critical situation?”
This silence must end.
To Naga Village Chiefs and CSOs: You are the watchmen on the walls [Ezekiel 33:7]. Rise with moral authority and social cohesion. Demand NRC update before Census. Document village population. Protect land records. Speak with one voice.
To Naga Political Groups: Engage the Government of India and Government of Manipur with a unified, intelligent, and legally sound demand. This is not against any community. This is for the integrity of the State and the rights of indigenous peoples.
To the Government of India and Government of Manipur: Conduct NRC update in Manipur before the next Census. Secure the borders. Verify settlers. Protect indigenous rights guaranteed under the Constitution. A Census built on unverified data is a Census built on sand.
Conclusion
May God give us the wisdom of Solomon to discern, the courage of David to stand, and the perseverance of Nehemiah to rebuild.
We do not speak out of hatred. We speak out of love for our land, our children, and our future. We speak because to remain silent is to allow our villages, our highways, and our political voice to be slowly eroded.
The Naga people have survived empires. We have survived wars. We will survive this moment — but only if we act now, lawfully, strongly, and unitedly.
NRC must precede Census.
Truth must precede counting.
Accountability must precede representation.
For if we do not protect the count, who will?
And if not now, when?
May God bless the Naga people. May He guard our land. May He lead us forward in truth, justice, and dignity.
For the Land. For the People. For the Record.
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Michael Meiphami Shaiza is Co-incharge of BJP Manipur State Political Programmes and Meetings and President of Ukhrul-based NGO Ecological Rehabilitators’ Association (ERA).
(Views expressed are writers’ own and do not, in whatsoever manner, reflect that of Ukhrul Now)
