Pinarayi Vijayan sounds alarm over Census questions, sees NPR agenda

Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala’s Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday accused the Centre of attempting to use the forthcoming Census to advance the agenda of the National Population Register (NPR) and warned that questions seeking details such as the place of birth and religion of parents could pave the way for a divisive citizenship exercise.

In a social media post, Vijayan said reports that such questions would form part of the Census questionnaire were deeply concerning and alleged that the Centre was attempting to smuggle in the NPR agenda along with the Census.

Though the Census and NPR are separate exercises, the Centre was trying to bring the two together, he alleged.

Citing the Union Home Ministry’s 2018-19 report, Vijayan claimed that information collected through the NPR could be used in preparing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and described the NPR as the first step towards an NRC.

“The purpose behind including questions about the place of birth and religion of parents in the Census is clear as daylight,” he said, arguing that no policy linking citizenship with religion could be accepted.

Vijayan demanded that the Centre immediately remove what he described as dubious questions aimed at dividing people from the Census questionnaire.

He also called upon secular sections of society to unite against what he termed a dangerous move targeting a particular section of the population.

The former Chief Minister also turned his criticism towards the UDF government in Kerala, questioning its silence on the issue despite the concerns surrounding the Census.

He alleged that the Congress had far from clean hands on the NPR issue.

According to Vijayan, although the NRC and NPR emerged through amendments to the Citizenship Act during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2003, it was the UPA government that first implemented the NPR in 2010.

He also accused the Congress of having initiated policies such as NPR and DNA profiling, which he claimed could ultimately facilitate an NRC exercise.

Vijayan recalled that the previous LDF government had issued an order in 2019 ruling out NPR-related activities in Kerala.

He said the LDF government had subsequently ensured through a notification that NPR would not be implemented in the State when Census operations resume in 2027.

Alleging that the UDF government was now systematically implementing the political agenda of the Centre following the change of government, Vijayan asked whether the same subservience would continue on the Census and NPR issue.

The remarks come as preparations for the 2027 Census have brought questions over the scope of the exercise and the relationship between the Census, NPR and citizenship-related databases back into the political spotlight.

IANS