Manipur Leaders Head to New Delhi to Demand NRC Update Before Census
A 10-member delegation comprising leaders from various communities and organisations in Manipur arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to lobby the Central government to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before conducting the Census and delimitation exercise in the state.
The team, which includes representatives from the Meitei, Pangal (Manipuri Muslims), Naga, and other indigenous communities, plans to present its demands to Union Ministers, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, and Intelligence Bureau officials during their visit to the capital.
A team leader said the delegation is seeking an Assam-like exercise to update the NRC to protect the indigenous communities of Manipur. He cited historical precedents, noting that the 1981 Census was deferred in Assam due to the Assam Agitation and the 1991 Census was affected in Jammu and Kashmir due to civil unrest, arguing that Census operations in Manipur can similarly be postponed in favour of the NRC.
The team's departure coincided with significant disruption in Manipur, where civil society groups and student organisations under the Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation began an indefinite boycott of Central and State government offices across five districts in the Imphal Valley following a 48-hour general shutdown.
In Manipur, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met with a student delegation from 10 schools and colleges on Thursday regarding the demand. The Manipur state government confirmed it favours implementing the NRC to address demographic imbalances linked to illegal migration.
As a precautionary measure amid the unrest, the Manipur administration ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, and higher education institutions from August 20 to August 22, 2026.
While apex bodies such as the United Naga Council and a Pangal union have reiterated that no Census or delimitation should proceed before the NRC is enacted, the Kuki-Zo Council expressed concerns over proposals to use 1951 as the base year for updating the citizen register.
