Tahamzam Nagas criticize Census Director

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 10 (MExN): The Naga People’s Organization (NPO) has called upon New Delhi to initiate action against Manipur’s Director of Census Operations Y. Thamkishore Singh for his alleged discriminative statements.
“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,” said M. Dili, president of NPO, the apex Naga organization in Tahamzam (formerly Senapati) district.
“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,” Dili said.  These acts legitimizes the authorities action and “destroy the identity of the Tribal in Manipur” including those in Tahamzam District. The NPO was responding to news articles which appeared in Imphal’s papers on February 8.
The NPO said, “rather than considering the growth of population among the hill people, the present State Government (of Manipur) 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.”
It called on the Indian government to treat the matter seriously and initiate action against the Director, Census Operations, Manipur describing him as “communal” whose actions “cannot create conducive environment for smooth Census Operations”. Rather, it would create more opportunities to discourage the Hills especially Senapati District from progressing forward economically and politically.