Nagaland minus an old defect

“The 2001 Census data,which had put Nagaland’s decadal growth in 1991-2001 at 64 per cent,was rejected as defective. This time we made a tremendous effort to arrive at accurate data. In fact we roped in various civil society groups,student unions and others,who in turn carried out a massive awareness campaign during the run-up to the actual Census,” Hekhali Zhimomi,director of Census operations,Nagaland,told The Indian Express from

Kohima.

Census 2001 had put Nagaland’s population at 1,990,036 and the decadal growth rate at 64.41 per cent. During 1981-91,too,it was abnormally high,56.08 per cent. This time,the total population of the state has come down to 1,980,602,which is 9,434 less than in 2001.

Interestingly,the decadal growth rate of 1981-91 did not cause any major concern in the hill state. It was the 2001 Census data that triggered a major controversy with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio declaring it defective on several occasions. The state cabinet in fact passed a resolution rejecting it three years ago.

On September 30,2009,the state government convened a consultative meeting involving people from various fields,which rejected Census 2001 and called for an intensive campaign for Census 2011. That meeting,chaired by the chief secretary,passed a resolution to this effect,which was signed by,among others,the Chief Minister,Leader of the Opposition Chingwang Konyak,and leaders of the Church,student bodies and all major civil society groups.

“Given this backdrop,we conducted Census 2011 under a unique Community Monitoring System,which not only converted the entire operation into a participatory exercise of the people,but also led to near-accurate data,” Zhimomi said. Her directorate in fact constituted 11 three-member community monitoring teams,which visited as many as 616 villages and met village and community leaders at grassroots level.

Civil society groups that were roped in included the Naga Hoho (the apex body of different tribes that had earlier brought the government and the NSCN closer) and the Naga Mothers’ Association (which was responsible for imposing total prohibition in the state),apart from the influential Naga Students¿ Federation,Zhimomi said. “Each three-member team also had a woman member representing the Naga Mothers’ Association,” she said.

Asked why the 1991 and 2001 Census data were inaccurate,Zhimomi said it was probably due to lack of understanding of the Census. She also referred to the electoral rolls of the state,which too have been generating a lot of controversy every time an election is around. “I think there was a lack of proper understanding of the Census in the previous two operations,” she said.

Charles Chasie,social worker and a former journalist,says,“Most development funds are allotted on the basis of population. I think there was a vested interest in inflating the figures in the earlier Census operations,” said Chasie.

Meanwhile,the state government has expressed confidence that the Census 2011 figures would finally help get a correct picture of the state’s demography. “It was indeed difficult for the government to carry out various programmes. The defective data-base of 2001 disturbed the planning process,in turn posing hurdles in taking the welfare schemes to every home,” said Nagaland home minister Imkong L Imchen.