First NRC, then census: Manipur valley protesters' demand

Guwahati: Protests erupted in several valley districts of Manipur, with people demanding updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before conducting any census activity in the state. Police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, injuring some. The protesters carried out their agitation in front of the deputy commissioner's office complex, Imphal East, on Tuesday.

Shops and business establishments remained closed across Imphal as the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) called a 48-hour general strike from August 17 midnight to August 19 midnight, with widespread public support visible on the streets. JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the strike was called to exert pressure on the government to acknowledge the people's concerns.

The Manipur government reiterated its stand that NRC updation should be taken up in the state due to concerns over demographic changes, demographic imbalance and illegal migration.


Addressing mediapersons in Imphal, government spokesperson and MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh said the government was serious about issues concerning NRC and census. He said the Manipur assembly had passed a resolution on August 5, 2022, urging that NRC be taken up in the state. The resolution was subsequently reaffirmed by the assembly on March 1, 2024. He said the issue has remained a longstanding concern of the state government and that the matter has been continuously pursued through correspondence with the Union home ministry

He informed that a team of MLAs would visit New Delhi to urge the Centre to take up NRC update. He stressed that the issue should be addressed collectively, cutting across political, community and religious lines as it concerns the state's future.

On the ongoing bandh and protests, Singh acknowledged that peaceful protest is a democratic right. He appealed to the protesters to express their grievances peacefully and democratically without resorting to violence or causing inconvenience to the public, students and people whose livelihoods may be affected by the disruptions.