Manipur: Normal life affected in valley districts on 2nd day of strike over NRC demand

Imphal, on the second day of a 48-hour statewide strike in Manipur, normal life was disrupted in five valley districts. Markets, educational institutions, and business establishments closed their doors. Public transport ceased to operate, though a few private vehicles were spotted. Strike enforcers blocked roads in Imphal East and Imphal West districts using bamboo poles and stone boulders, staging protests with signs that read "No NRC No Census."

In Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts, attendance at government offices was minimal, while educational institutes remained shut. The statewide strike by the Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation had no impact on hill districts like Churachandpur. The state government spokesperson, Sapam Ranjan Singh, announced a delegation of legislators would travel to New Delhi to discuss the demand for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census.

The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 was set to commence on August 17, with the main house-listing operation scheduled from September 1 to September 30. On Sunday, students demonstrated outside the Directorate of Census Operations in Imphal, leading to police firing tear gas shells to disperse them. On August 16, protesters in Imphal East and Imphal West held a torch rally, demanding the implementation of the NRC before any census activity to identify illegal immigrants.

Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, on Tuesday, affirmed the government's support for the NRC demand and appealed for alternative forms of protest to avoid disruption for daily wage earners and students.