Civil society organisation urges EC to conduct SIR in Manipur with 1961 as base year

Imphal, Nov 11 (PTI) A civil society organisation in Manipur on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state with 1961 as the base year.

People's Alliance for Peace in Manipur (PAPPM), in a memorandum submitted to ECI, said an SIR is "imperative to address an existential threat to Manipur's democracy, social harmony, and cultural survival".

The provision for a special intensive revision is "not merely an administrative exercise, it is a constitutional, moral, and democratic necessity to secure the future of Manipur's indigenous peoples", the organisation said.

It also demanded that January 1, 1961, be used as "the cut-off date for defining the native population, as it represents a hard-won consensus and the legislative will of Manipur".

The Manipur government had previously approved 1961 as the base year for determining the “native” status for the effective implementation of the Inner Line Permit system (ILPs) in the state.

"The unique cultural, social, and demographic fabric of this ancient civilisation, home to a diverse mosaic of ethnic communities, is under unprecedented strain owing to unresolved issues of illegal immigration and demographic imbalance," it said.

"We humbly yet fervently pray that the Election Commission of India immediately direct the conduct of a special intensive revision of the electoral roll in Manipur with the following explicit mandate to ensure that only permanent residents and indigenous persons of Manipur, as legally defined under the state's ILP framework, are enrolled as voters," the organisation added. PTI CORR BDC