Imphal, August 12: Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba has urged the Centre to detect, identify, and deport illegal immigrants from Manipur before the commencement of the national census and delimitation process, proposing 1961 as the cut-off year for determining eligibility.

Raising the matter as a Special Mention in the Upper House on August 11, the MP warned that proceeding with the census before resolving the influx issue could trigger social unrest and strip indigenous Manipuris of their constitutional rights. He stressed that census data is a critical tool for developmental planning and delimitation, but must reflect an accurate demographic profile.

The Rajya Sabha MP in a post on X said, “Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India MHA already asked States and Union Territories to detect, identify & deport illegal Myanmareses & Bangladeshis within one month w.e.f. 19th May 2025. But no concrete steps are seen taken up from State Government till date.”

Highlighting anomalies in past census records, the MP described the 2001 and 2011 Manipur census reports as “controversial,” citing an extraordinary 202.88% average population surge in three subdivisions of Senapati district between 2001 and 2011:

Table 1 – Population Growth in Senapati Subdivisions (2001–2011)

Similarly, between 1991 and 2001, seven hill subdivisions recorded abnormal population increases ranging from 40% to over 100%:

Table 2 – Abnormal Population Growth in Hill Subdivisions (1991–2001)

According to Leishemba, these figures raise serious doubts over demographic integrity, with potential long-term consequences for political representation, land rights, and resource allocation.

“Carrying out census operations without settling the illegal immigrant issue will compromise the rights of indigenous people and distort the delimitation process,” he told the House, adding that he had been trying to raise the matter in Parliament since the start of the monsoon session but was delayed due to disruptions.