A mass sit-in protest, organised under the banner of ‘Wakat Meefam’, was held at Sekmaijin Thongkha in Kakching district today under the joint aegis of five civil society organisations — All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), AMAWOVA, PLMPAM, COHR and MSF — pressing for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year and opposing the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 in Manipur.
The protest, attended predominantly by women from Sekmaijin and adjoining areas, raised six demands, including protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity, updating the NRC before the Census, immediate resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original homes, resolution of the ongoing crisis in the state and withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
Leaders of the five organisations said the agitation was part of a statewide campaign demanding NRC implementation before the Census 2027 and SIR 2026. They argued that conducting population-based exercises without first identifying alleged illegal immigrants entering through the Myanmar border could legitimise undocumented settlements and affect the demographic balance of indigenous communities.
The organisations also opposed conducting SIR 2026 in Manipur while thousands of IDPs remain displaced and unable to return to their homes. They maintained that revising electoral rolls under the prevailing circumstances could adversely affect the voting rights of displaced people.
Protesters displayed placards carrying slogans such as ‘No Census Before NRC’, ‘NRC Only Way to Save Indigenous People’, ‘Do Not Conduct SIR’ and ‘Do Not Break Manipur’.
The gathering also observed a silent prayer for the restoration of peace and protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity, with traditional offerings placed at the protest site.