March to Census Directorate reiterates call for NRC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 22 2026: Reiterating the call to defer the scheduled census exercise until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated comprehensively, a large number of people today took out a protest march to the Directorate of Census, Porompat.

The rally was organised by the Nongpok Pana Apunba Lup (NONGPAL) under the aegis of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation.

NONGPAL organised a sit-in-protest at Top Khongnangkhong this afternoon under the banner, "No NRC, No Census; No Normalcy, No Census; Update NRC before Census" .

There JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba spoke at length on the need for updating NRC before carrying out census operations in Manipur.

As the sit-in-protest wrapped up, the participants took out a protest march to the Directorate of Census, located next to the Imphal East Deputy Commissioner's office.

As the protesters marched to the Census Directorate shouting slogans against any attempt to carry out census operations before updating the NRC, police kept a close watch.

The protesters shouted in one voice that no census operations will be allowed until and unless the NRC is updated; census operations must be carried out only after all IDPs are resettled and there is complete normalcy in the State.

Police blocked the protest march in front of the Imphal East DC office and forced the protesters to turn back.

JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the JFD has repeatedly asked the Government face to face as well as in black and white that census operations must be carried out only after the NRC is updated.

An all-party meeting was also held on the issue of NRC and several resolutions were adopted.

But the Government did not take up any concrete action, he said.

The JFD convenor said that the BJP MLAs and Ministers currently camping at Delhi cannot be trusted until there is an official announcement to the effect that the census exercise is deferred in Manipur.

Nonetheless, it will be worth appreciating if the BJP MLAs start working in line with the people's pulse and will, Jeetendra said.

He said that the call for first updating the NRC before launching census operations is not directed against any community or group.

The call is about protecting the Constitutional rights guaranteed to the indigenous people.

The issue of NRC or distinguishing genuine citizens from illegal immigrants is a very critical one for survival or disappearance of the indigenous people hinges on it, the JFD convenor added.

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