Imphal, August 19: Life in the Imphal Valley remains disrupted for the second consecutive day due to a state-wide shutdown. The “Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation” has called for a 48-hour strike to demand the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) ahead of the 2027 census.
Numerous student and youth organizations, women’s groups—including influential female leaders—and civil society organizations are supporting this shutdown. The strike began at midnight on Monday and will continue until midnight on Wednesday.
On the second day of the shutdown, shops, markets, educational institutions, government offices, and businesses remained closed across six districts in the Imphal Valley. Public transport services were suspended, leaving many roads deserted. The six districts affected include Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Jiribam.
However, the shutdown did not impact the hill districts, such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
In various parts of Imphal East and West, activists and enforcers of the shutdown set tires ablaze and blocked roads with bamboo poles and stones. They protested with placards bearing slogans like “No NRC, No Census.”
Students advocating for the NRC’s implementation before the 2027 census staged a demonstration outside the Census Operations Directorate in Imphal, prompting police to disperse them using tear gas.
Meanwhile, the self-enumeration process for the 2027 census commenced on August 17. The main house-listing work will be conducted by census personnel from September 1 to September 30.
The Manipur government has already announced its support for updating the NRC and is consistently raising the issue with the central government. A team of legislators from Manipur is set to visit New Delhi to seek guidance from the central government and urge the initiation of the NRC update process in the state.
Government spokesperson Nityaniphat Chuthak and current BJP MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh stated that the state government is serious about issues related to the NRC and census and stands with the people to address their concerns.
Former minister Sapam Ranjan Singh noted that the Manipur Assembly passed a resolution on August 5, 2022, urging the implementation of the NRC in the state. Singh and Nityaniphat Chuthak informed the media that the Assembly reaffirmed this resolution on March 1, 2024.
Singh emphasized that this issue has long been a concern for the state government, which is making continuous efforts through discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He mentioned that a team of legislators will travel to New Delhi to seek advice and push for the NRC update process in Manipur.
The former minister stressed that this issue should be resolved collectively, transcending political parties, communities, or other differences, as it pertains to the future of the state and its people. The government acknowledges the demand from civil society organizations and the people of Manipur for the NRC to be updated before the 2027 census.
He added that the government will continue discussions with the central government to ensure that this demand is considered.
In the meantime, former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Upon his return to Imphal, he expressed optimism that the central government would take positive steps towards updating the NRC in Manipur.
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