Manipur shutdown disrupts transport, business over demand for NRC before Census

Normal life was disrupted across Manipur on Tuesday, September 1 as the Campaign for Justice and Fair Delimitation (JFD) enforced a 24-hour general strike demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented before the census and delimitation exercises are conducted in the state.

The shutdown affected business establishments, public transport and vehicular movement in several areas, with protesters blocking roads and preventing movement of vehicles, except those providing essential and emergency services.

The Manipur government had appealed to the JFD to withdraw the shutdown after the Centre announced that the census process in the state had been deferred. However, the organisation proceeded with the strike, maintaining that the deferment should be formally notified through a gazette notification by the Registrar General of India.

Protesters took to the streets from the morning in support of the strike. Women vendors at Khwairamband Ima Market also remained at the market in support of the agitation.

The protesters said their demand was for the implementation of the NRC before the census, citing concerns over the alleged presence of illegal immigrants in the state. They argued that conducting the census and subsequent delimitation without first addressing the issue of illegal immigration would not adequately protect the interests of indigenous people.

A protester said the state government's announcement regarding the deferment of the census was not sufficient in the absence of an official notification from the competent authority of the Government of India.

The JFD has maintained that its agitation would continue until its demand for implementation of the NRC before the census is addressed.

The development came a day after a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Ministry of Home Affairs reviewed the situation in Manipur and discussed the demand for deferment of the census exercise.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting. Following the meeting, the deferment of the census process in Manipur was announced.

Separately, the High Court of Manipur has also directed that the census process be withheld in the state.