Manipur Government urges JFD to end office shutdown, says NRC push continues

The government has appealed to the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) to withdraw its ongoing shutdown of state and central government offices in Manipur, saying the state is continuing efforts to push for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation, with 1951 as the base year before the Census.

Manipur government spokesperson and MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh made the appeal at a press conference held at the Durbar Hall of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Babupara. He said the issue of illegal immigration remained a concern across sections of society and maintained that the state government is consistently pursuing the demand for NRC updation.

Singh said Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam is currently in Delhi to engage with the Centre and push for the updation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year ahead of the Census.

He said the government had taken several steps to address concerns over illegal immigration and that efforts by civil society organisations and the state government had contributed to the deferment of the Census operation, following which a gazette notification was also issued.

The Manipur Legislative Assembly, in its recently concluded session, also reaffirmed its earlier resolution urging the Centre to undertake NRC updation, Singh said.

“We don’t remain silent even after the conclusion of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. We are still pursuing to accomplish people’s demand to update NRC with base 1951 before census. NRC is a lengthy and complicated process. Yet state government will continue urging to update it,” he said.

Singh urged the JFD to withdraw its office shutdown agitation, saying the move was causing inconvenience to the public and affecting government functioning.

“Let us all fight any cause unitedly instead of shutting down offices or other form of protest that can affect state,” he said.

He said Manipur had been facing difficulties for more than three years and that continued disruptions could further affect people across sections of society.

The JFD has been carrying out an office shutdown at state and central government establishments, while exempting certain essential services, as part of its ongoing agitation seeking the updation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year.

The organisation had set September 10 as the deadline for the state government to take steps towards pursuing the demand with the Centre. After the deadline passed without the government meeting its demand, the JFD launched the office shutdown agitation from September 11.

Meanwhile, responding to a question on a firing incident in Tamenglong district that killed a woman and allegedly injured her husband and son, Singh condemned the incident. He said Chief Minister N Biren Singh was in touch with the district administration and that necessary steps would be taken.