IMPHAL, Feb 10: The Naga People’s Organization (NPO) has seriously taken note of the news article published in local papers regarding the remarks made by Director of Census Operations of the State Y. Thamkishore Singh on ‘Census 2011’.
A release of the organization has in the strongest term condemned the irresponsible statement of the Director. Such acts manifest the vivid scene of underestimating the innate rights of the hill people and thus provoking antagonism among the people of the state, it added.
The release further stated that the misleading remarks of the Census Director is unfortunate and uncalled for, when the district today has been severely affected in many developmental dimensions due to repeated cancellation of the 2001 Census and the on-going 2011 census. Such act professed the concerned department as a machinery and authority to destroy the identity of the tribals in Manipur especially Senapati District. Instead of initiating positive measures to revive the cancelled 2001 census and improve the present 2011 census operation, sadly the concerned department has become a tool of suppressing the voice and basic rights of the hill people by terming it abnormal and duplication of census, the statement alleged.
It may be noted that, the Census 2011 was conducted by the concerned departments with the respective district administrations; here the enumerators and concerned supervisors are controlled as per the guidelines and format provided by the government of India. But, rather than considering the growth of population among the hill people, the present state government in collaboration with the concerned department has been imposing restrictions and terming the census of the District “Abnormal†without any bases or evidence to prove it, the release said.
The NPO demanded the central government to treat the matter seriously and initiate necessary action against the Director, Census Operations, Manipur Y. Thamkishore Singh stating that the officer cannot create conducive environment for smooth census operations but create more opportunities to discourage the hills especially Senapati district from progressing forward economically and politically.
