The Justice for Fair Delimitation (JFD) intensified its opposition to the upcoming Census on Friday, as a large number of its members thronged Lok Bhavan in Imphal seeking an appointment with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented before the Census.
JFD Convenor Jitendra Ningombam said the delegation intended to apprise the Governor of the organisation’s demand, seek clarity on the status of the NRC process and urge the authorities to defer the Census until the NRC exercise is undertaken.
The Census is scheduled to commence from August 17.
The JFD has maintained that conducting the Census without first establishing an NRC could have serious implications for the identification and documentation of citizens in Manipur. It has also argued that the exercise should not proceed without addressing concerns over undocumented migrants and the state’s demographic security.
The protest escalated earlier in the day when volunteers of the JFD Students Wing disrupted an enumerators’ and supervisors’ training programme at Moirang College. The volunteers reportedly entered the venue before the training commenced and raised slogans against the Census while displaying placards bearing the message, “NO NRC, NO CENSUS.”
A team of Moirang Police present at the venue detained and arrested the protesters, following which the training programme was disrupted.
JFD Students Wing Convenor Naorem Wangamba defended the protest, saying the people should not be divided in the name of the Census and urging the government to take public sentiment into account before proceeding with the exercise.
He also appealed to security personnel to refrain from using disproportionate force against protesters, asserting that people were compelled to raise their voice over issues concerning their land, identity and future.
The JFD’s latest actions come at a critical juncture, with the Census process scheduled to begin within days and the organisation stepping up its demand for an NRC as a prerequisite.
The twin developments—JFD members gathering at Lok Bhavan and the Students Wing disrupting Census-related training—highlight the growing opposition to the proposed exercise in parts of the state and put pressure on the authorities to address the concerns before the Census begins.
