IMPHAL, August 6: The Naga People’s Organisation during a public meeting resolved that in case the government fails to comply to its demand for inclusion of the Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul sub-division in the census records by August 31, 2013, then it will be compelled to take up agitations against the government.
The meeting was held at the Senapati district head quarters.
The meeting had further resolved that in case the government fails to include the three sub-divisions in the state census, the three sub-divisions will voluntarily join any other state which is ready to accept their census.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, Congress Senapati district, president PT Hraii said the government has been excluding the three sub-divisions since the past two decades.
He said the first Census for India was held in 1951, however uptil 1991, no census officials were allowed in the hill areas.
However, during the 2001 census, the people of the area allowed census and even volunteered to help the census, he said.
Elaborating further, he said that the government citing irregular population growth rate in the three sub-divisions, a re-census was conducted in 2004; which was again discarded by the people, he said.
The report of the re-census was published as “Estimated population”, he continued.
Later on both centre and state officials had during the Census 2011, informed that the census count of the three sub-divisions will be included in the report, however was again excluded from the final report.
He further alleged that the state government has sent a modified report to the Centre regarding the Census report of the three sub-divisions.
He said the total population of the three sub-divisions stands at 359326 according to local counting in 2004, however, the then estimated population report of the government has placed the total population of the three sub-divisions at 157108 individuals only.
NPO president ML Markson said the three sub-divisions have failed to receive benefits of any government schemes and programmes as the three are not included in the state census report.
Meanwhile, the meeting further resolved that the villages that are yet to submit the 2011 Census` data with NPR form are directed to submit the same to their respective Tribe president at the earliest, failing which the responsibilities shall be fixed on the defaulting villages and that the census will be based on the revenue/recognized village and as per the Census enumerated officially by the Government appointed enumerators, and as such, those villages not enumerated by the government enumerators need not submit their data.