JFD to launch MLAs' signature campaign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 27 2026: The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Women Wing has announced that it will launch campaign exclusively for MLAs in order to ascertain their positions on the public demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) .

Speaking to media persons at JFD office, Soibam Leikai this evening, JFD Women Wing convenor Sougrakpam Sumati said that they took out a peaceful march toward the Chief Minister's today in order to talk with the Chief Minister and submit a memorandum on the issue of NRC .

But the march was blocked by security forces at Konung Mamang.

Saying that the JFD submitted a five-point ulti- matum to the Chief Minister on September 26, Sumati said the ultimatum asked the State Government to give a concrete reply by September 30 .

Despite the people's sustained movement to get the NRC updated before census, the State Government has not yet taken up a single tangible step toward updating the NRC, she said.

After the march was blocked at Konung Mamang, JFD Women Wing members sought a face to face meeting with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand but concerned Government officials asked the marchers to submit the memorandum through police, Sumati said.

The marchers were again told to send the memorandum through a staff of Imphal East Deputy Commissioner who arrived at Konung Mamang, she said.

Sumati said that they did not set out to submit a memorandum to police of the DC's staff.

It was also learnt that Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand has allegedly vowed to never meet with the JFD Women Wing.

Khemchand's decision to never meet with the JFD Women Wing is a matter of grave concern and it is unbecoming of a Chief Minister, Sumati said.

She said that they were marching to the CM's office to elicit a concrete reply from Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand regarding the omission of base year 1951 in the resolution passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly to update the NRC .

She also condemned the excesses committed by security forces against the JFD Women Wing volunteers who were marching peacefully to the CM office.

Notably, two members of JFD Women wing namely; Ningthoukhongjam Priya (49) of Wangkhei Angom Leikai and Khaidem Benaobi (40) of Mayang Imphal Thana Awang Leikai sustained injuries as police fired tear gas shells to drive away the marchers.

Highlighting the points/demands laid down in the memorandum, Sumati urged the State Government to exert strong pressure upon the Central Government and see that the census exercise is deferred in entirety within the month of September.

She asked the State Government to give a specific timeframe for initiating the process of updating the NRC with 1951 as the base year.

Activating and strengthening the Manipur State Population Commission and enactment of a population policy were two other demands laid down in the memorandum.

The memorandum also demanded the State Government to persuade the Central Government to publish a gazette notification to the effect that the NRC is updated in Manipur with 1951 as the base year.

Taking strong exception to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand's refusal to meet with JFD Women Wing members, Sumati asked whether it implies Yumnam Khemchand has no intention to update the NRC .

She went on to assert that the Chief Minister's unwillingness to talk with the JFD Women Wing is a clear indication that the census operations will not be deferred.

It is hard to expect that such a Chief Minister will work in the interest of the indigenous people, she said.

Asking if all the MLAs supporting the Chief Minister are on the same page with Khemchand on the issue of NRC, the JFD Women Wing convenor said that they will visit each of the MLAs, submit the memorandum which was supposed to be submitted to the Chief Minister today and launch a signature campaign exclusively for the MLAs in order to ascertain their positions on the issue of NRC .

Announcing that strong and sustained mass movements will be launched soon, the JFD Women Wing commander said that they will never back down or retreat even if they suffer casualties and are threatened.

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