Human chain protest echoes with "No NRC, No Census" call
NRC first, census later demand gets louder
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 11 2026: A large number of students from Regular English School, Pitambara School and RM School today formed a long human chain along Tiddim Road and protested against the Government's attempt to conduct census operations without first addressing the public demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) .

The protest demonstration was held at the initiative of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Students' Wing.

The students held placards and shouted slogans like "No NRC, No Census", "Update NRC before Census", "No IDP settlement, No Census" etc .

NRC first, census later demand gets louder

Speaking to the media, the students said that the Government's attempt to roll out census operations when tens of thousands displaced by the violence are yet to be resettled is unacceptable.

They echoed the public demand for identification of illegal immigrants by way of updating the NRC before proceeding with the census operations.

Categorically saying that no census operations will be allowed without first updating the NRC, the students warned that any attempt to conduct the census exercise forcefully will be met with strong protest and stiff resistance.

JFD Students' Wing member Naorem Wangamba said that the people's movement for NRC is to save future generations.

Demanding the Government to halt all census-related works, Wangamba said that the student community will launch a strong protest if the Government chooses to ignore this demand.

He urged the Government to suspend all census-related activities before any untoward incident unfolds, and rather focus on updating the NRC and resettling IDPs.

Students of Maharaja Bodhchandra College came out and staged a protest in front of the college gate, categorically saying no to census operations until and unless the NRC is updated.

Meanwhile, DESAM, AIMS and the GP College Students' Union have pledged unstinted support to the mass movement being spearheaded by the JFD for updating the NRC ahead of census operations.

A press release issued by DESAM said that Manipur today is facing a critical threat with immigrants evolving into a dominant and domineering force.

The issue of demographic imbalance is not a recent happening, it has been there since a long time back, the student body said.

Since 1980s, civil organisations have been asking the Government to take up concrete measures to protect indigenous people in the face of incessant influx from neighbouring countries, but to no avail so far.

Apart from creating demographic imbalance, the illegal immigrants have been threatening the National security by indulging in extensive poppy plantations and huge drug business, it said.

DESAM said that the May 3, 2023 violence was ignited by these illegal immigrants led by armed terrorists.

The student body then questioned why the Government has been acting mute and deaf to the people's collective demand for identification of these illegal immigrants before going ahead with the census operations.

The Government needs to acknowledge that the illegal immigrants are now a serious threat to National security, it said.

Urging the Government to first update the NRC with 1951 as the base year before conducting the census exercise, DESAM said that they too will join the ongoing movement if the Government still refuses to pay heed to the people's collective demand.

Asserting that one primary reason for the unrest besieging the State is the incessant influx of illegal immigrants, AIMS has flayed the State Government for its failure to convey this reality to the Centre convincingly.

It also slammed the State Government for acting deaf and blind to the JFD and people's demand for updating the NRC and identification of illegal immigrants before rolling out census operations.

All illegal immigrants and the Government of India's alleged proxy forces must be deported to their native countries, it said.