Manipur community leaders head to Delhi to press for NRC before Census

A 10-member delegation of Manipur community leaders left for New Delhi on August 20 with a demand for an updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) before Census and delimitation work begins in the State.

The group includes representatives of Meitei, Pangal (Manipuri Muslim), Naga and other indigenous communities. A team leader said it would take the demand for an “Assam-like” NRC exercise to Union Ministers, BJP leaders and Intelligence Bureau officials.

The visit coincided with a boycott of Central and State government offices in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, called by the Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation. The campaign began an indefinite boycott across five districts after a 48-hour general shutdown ended on August 19.

Manipur’s government has said it supports NRC implementation, citing concerns about demographic change and illegal migration. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh also met students from 10 schools and colleges on August 20, when they pressed for an NRC before the Census.

Schools, colleges and universities in Manipur were ordered shut from August 20 to 22 as a precaution amid the unrest. The Kuki-Zo Council has objected to a proposal to use 1951 as the NRC base year, saying it creates uncertainty.