Manipur group calls 24-hour strike over Census, NRC demand

The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has called for a 24-hour general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 31 after the Centre failed to meet its demand for an official announcement deferring the Census exercise until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented in the state.

JFD executive member Longjam Ratan said at a press conference on Monday that the organisation would go ahead with the strike as announced and appealed to people across the state to support the agitation.

The group had given the Government of India August 31 as a deadline to issue an official statement on postponing the Census in Manipur until the NRC exercise is completed. Ratan said no such announcement had been made by the deadline.

The house-listing phase of the Census is scheduled to begin in the state from September 1. As part of its opposition to the exercise before implementation of the NRC, JFD has urged local clubs and Meira Paibis to prevent Census enumerators and supervisors from carrying out house-listing work in their respective localities.

Ratan said the demand for implementing the NRC before the Census was aimed at identifying illegal immigrants and addressing concerns over the state's future. He urged residents to cooperate with the strike, citing the "grim situation" in Manipur.

JFD had earlier criticised the Centre for not announcing a deferment of the Census despite a delegation of state legislators travelling to Delhi and raising the issue with central leaders. After the legislators returned to Imphal, the organisation set August 31 as the deadline for the Centre to make its position clear.