Demand for NRC before census sparks bandh and clashes as Manipur protests intensify

Guwahati: The protest and bandh continued for the second day as protestors demanded National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before any census activity is conducted in the state.

On Wednesday protestors burnt tyres in Imphal East and Imphal West, tear gas shells were fired to disperse the protestors.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh stressed that the government supports the implementation of the NRC.


Opposition Congress also supported the NRC before the census. The party supported the core objective of the NRC to detect and deport unauthorized immigrants.

Read more: Manipur schools, colleges to remain shut till Aug 22 amid NRC showdown

The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has enforced a 48-hour statewide general strike from midnight of August 17 to midnight of August 19, intensifying its agitation for an updated NRC before the Census.

Khemchand Singh said in a programme in Imphal that the government supports the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State and appreciated the artistes for bringing up the issue to the government.

A team of BJP legislators from Manipur, led by party General Secretary K. Sarat, has left for New Delhi to meet central BJP leaders. Uripok Assembly constituency MLA Kh. Raghumani and Lamlai MLA Kh. Ibomcha is part of this team. Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta is also joining the delegation.

Read more: Student protesters stage protest, demand NRC before census in Manipur

Governor Ajay kumar Bhalla is gone to New Delhi and likely to meet Union Home minister Amit Shah.

Addressing mediapersons in Imphal, Government spokesperson and MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh on Tuesday had stated that the Government remains serious about the issues concerning the NRC and Census and stands with the people of Manipur in addressing their concerns.

Sapam Ranjan Singh said that the Manipur Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution on August 5, 2022, urging that the NRC be taken up in the State. The resolution was subsequently reaffirmed by the Assembly on March 1, 2024. He stated that the issue has remained a longstanding concern of the State Government and that efforts have been continuously pursued through correspondence with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

He also informed that a team of MLAs would visit New Delhi to seek guidance and urge the Central Government to take up the NRC updation. He stressed that the issue should be addressed collectively, irrespective of political party, community or other differences, as it concerns the future of the State and its people.

The Congress party state government must first resettle internally displaced people and restore normalcy in the strife-torn state and then move ahead with Census.

State Congress president and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh questioned how the house listing would be conducted when displaced people are staying at relief camps.

In Manipur, more than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.

“Not less than 60,000 internally displaced people are staying in different relief camps in both hill and valley areas. The majority of their homes have been demolished. So how will house-listing of such people be conducted? The Centre also needs to know this. The state government must apprise the Centre of such problems,” he said.

People belonging to one community cannot enter into localities where citizens of another community have a majority in several districts, he said.

The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 was scheduled to begin on August 17. The main house-listing operation will start from September 1 to September 30 this year.