Intensified Protests in Manipur Demand NRC Implementation Before Census
Protests Escalate in Manipur
Members of JFD during a protest in Imphal on Monday. (AT Photo)
Imphal, August 17: The demand for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented prior to the Census has led to heightened protests in Manipur, with the Just Fair Delimitation (JFD) declaring a two-day statewide strike starting at midnight on August 17.
This strike is part of a larger movement advocating for the completion of the NRC process before the Census takes place. The JFD has called upon the residents of Manipur to join in solidarity and ensure the success of the strike.
“We are fighting against government policies that threaten our existence as Manipuris. The Indian government is pushing for a Census while we grapple with the issues stemming from illegal immigration. Today, several students were injured,” stated the general secretary of Dhanamanjuri University.
The strike has garnered support from various civil society groups, including the United Meitei Naga Committee Manipur, Federation of Naga Civil Society (FNCC), Chandel Naga People’s Organisation, United Meitei Pangal Committee, and Native People’s Committee Manipur.
Leading organizations in the movement are urging the government to prioritize the NRC exercise before conducting the Census, emphasizing that verifying citizenship is essential before counting the population.
Earlier today, reports emerged of two individuals sustaining injuries during a police lathi charge at the Dhanamanjuri University campus, as per a JFD representative.
The injured parties were identified as Thokchom Tombi, 20, a GP College student from Lamboikhul Makha Leikai, who suffered a hand injury, and Kharibam Reshma, 30, affiliated with the JFD student wing and a student at Regional College, who incurred a head injury.
Both individuals were taken to Raj Medicity Hospital for medical attention.
The situation continues to escalate in the state, with protests intensifying over the demand for NRC implementation prior to the Census, as organizers assert that citizenship verification must come before population enumeration.