`RTI demanding authority which prepared National Register of Citizen, 1951 draws unsatisfactory response`

IMPHAL, October 15: The government is likely to be charged with misleading the House in passing the three controversial Bills purportedly for the protection of indigenous people of Manipur from migrant influx, if it fails to verify the very existence of the National Register of Citizens, 1951, observed political analyst Leihaothabam Sharatchandra Sharma.

The political analyst gave his observation in a written statement to the Home department, following unsatisfactory response from both the department and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur with regards to the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizen, 1951.

In the meantime, he also urged the department to appraise the Chief Minister and deputy Chief Minister who also holds the Home portfolio of the matter and take further necessary action as per law in public interest.

Sharatchandra reportedly applied an RTI application on September 15 last to the State Public Information Officer of the Home department, seeking information regarding the National Register of Citizens, 1951 purportedly the based year for the implementation of ILP.

Besides seeking name of the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizens, 1951, referred to in the section 2 (b) of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, he also sought information on whether the copy of the National Register of Citizens, 1951 was available with the Home Department or any other department of the Government of Manipur and subsequently asked to provide with a copy if it does. At the same time, the RTI application also sought information taken by the Home department to obtain a copy from the National Register of Citizens, 1951, if the copy is not available with the department concerned.

In response to the application, the Home department reportedly informed that it did not maintain the records of the census and the same is maintained by the Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur.

In contrary to suggestion made by the Home department the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur wrote to L Saratchandra, that `the office is not aware of the authority which prepared the National Register of Citizen, 1951, hence the information sought for is not available with this office` while remarked `not applicable` in case of other information sought.

Judging from the responses received, Laihaothabam Saratchandra Sharma, drew the attention of the Home department in a statement observing that the State government nor the Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur knows the authority which prepared the `National Register of Citizens, 1951.

He further stated that the existence of the National Register of Citizens, 1951 is crucial to the validity of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015.

It is therefore, the responsibility of the State government to verify whether the National Register of Citizens, 1951 exist or not.

`If the National Register of Citizens, 1951does not exist, the Government is likely to be charged with misleading the house to get the two bills passed`, it said.