Census hits roadblock in Mizoram - superstition!

AIZAWL - The census operations have hit a bizarre roadblock in the northeastern state of Mizoram - superstition. A section of the Christian community believe that the head count, and the alloocation of a unique identification (UID) number, would mean being “identified by the beast”.

“This came to light when Mizoram Chief Secretary Vanhela Pachuau Friday reviewed the progress of the ongoing enumeration of the first phase of the census and door-to-door headcount for the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) in the Christian dominated state,” a census official told reporters Saturday.

The meeting was attended by senior state government and census operation officials, besides district commissioners.

The first phase of census operation kicked-off in Mizoram May 15 from the residence of Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and it would continue till June 30.

The official quoting the reports of the district commissioners said: “Some cults and sects of Christians believe the head count exercise, especially the introduction of UID numbers, would be ominous. Getting identified with UID numbers would mean getting identified by the beast (the devil).”

“There are 1,355 families across the mountainous state who have refused to enrol their names for the NRIC,” the official added.

Deputy director general of census operations S.K. Chakraborty told IANS: “These very critical and basic statistics of the NRIC would form the database of every Indian and these would be maintained by the UID, an innovative system to be used as a means of uniquely identifying the residents in the country.”

The issue was hotly debated in a religious meet in Mizoram capital Aizawl last week.

“This UID card in any way cannot be the identification with the beast. This UID card is meant to distinguish between Indians and foreigners to safeguard the citizens. It would bar foreigners from buying property in our country,” said a popular Christian scholar P. C. Biaksiama while addressing the seminar.

A section of participants at the seminar refused to accept Biaksiama’s explanation and walked out of the seminar hall.

The Mizoram government and census officials are finalising strategies to launch a campaign across the Christian dominated state to break the superstition.

Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church Synod, the highest decision making body of the largest Church in Mizoram issued a message earlier this week to all members asking them to cooperate with census officials as it was the duty of every citizen to do so.

The church also condemned people who were campaigning about the “number of the beast” and terrifying church members.

Over 5.3 million Christians live in Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur.

“During the 45 days of the work, the census officials will be collecting personal information on every individual in each family. This would be incorporated in the proposed unique identification card project, which would cover all citizens aged 18 years and above,” Chakraborty told IANS.

He said that the actual population enumeration would be undertaken simultaneously across the country Feb 9-28, 2011 followed by a five-day revision round March 1-5, 2011.