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Imphal: The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation is keeping its statewide protest alive. The government failed to provide written proof they would delay the August 17 Census. Demonstrators are demanding an updated National Register of Citizens and better support for displaced persons. Protests started August 10, 2026, under the slogan "No NRC, No Census."
A 15-member JFD delegation spent 90 minutes with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Lok Bhavan on August 14. They walked from the Wangkhei Angom Leikai club toward the palace, but security forces blocked the path. Authorities eventually let the small group through to deliver a formal memorandum. JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba warned that civil resistance will not stop until legal protections for the population are settled.
The movement unites various groups, including Meiteis, Nagas, and Meitei Pangals. JFD leaders have asked enumerators and supervisors to skip training and walk away from Census duties. Governor Bhalla stated that only the state government can recommend a delay to the central authorities. He promised to talk with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam. Bhalla also confirmed he briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the demographic anxieties driving the unrest.
Updated at 16th August 2026 at 9:45pm
The JFD has escalated its pushback, announcing daily torch rallies from 7 pm to 8 pm at sites across Manipur. Convenor Jeetendra Ningomba warned that the group will move to storm deputy commissioner offices and launch a total shutdown if the government continues to ignore their demands. The organization aims to mobilize a larger force within the next few days to ramp up the pressure.
Tensions flared on Sunday when police cracked down on the JFD Student Wing at the Directorate of Census in Porompat. Three students landed in the hospital, and Wing convenor Naorem Wangamba accused an Imphal East DSP of threatening to shoot protesters. The group is now demanding that officer be suspended within 24 hours for the use of excessive force.
With the digital self-enumeration phase set to start Monday via mobile app, the JFD is doubling down on its boycott. The group is urging all indigenous citizens to delete the app and stay off the platform to protect their interests.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 1:50am
Tensions hit a breaking point Sunday when police deployed tear gas to disperse JFD student members attempting to lock the gates of the Directorate of Census Operations in Porompat. Three students were injured during the clash. Naorem Wangamba, convenor of the student wing, described the police response as excessively harsh and accused an Imphal East DSP of pointing a firearm at protesters. The student group is now demanding the immediate suspension of that officer within 24 hours.
Protesters argue the census poses a direct threat to the state's integrity, citing concerns that counting the population before identifying illegal migrants and addressing demographic shifts will lead to inaccurate and harmful data. In addition to the ongoing blockades, demonstrators held a separate sit-in protest at Thangmeiband near the D.M. College Nongchup Gate to reiterate their demands.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 1:48pm
The movement has expanded its tactics beyond rallies and blockades. Beyond the nightly torch processions, JFD leadership is coordinating human chains across Imphal East and Imphal West. Protesters held a demonstration at Keisampat Junction, just 100 metres from the Lok Bhavan and the state BJP office, before security forces halted their advance.
Disruptions to administrative preparations have also intensified. On Friday, the student wing successfully shut down an enumerator and supervisor training session at Moirang College in Bishnupur district, forcing staff to abandon the facility. The group asserts that conducting the census prior to an NRC would grant residency to illegal migrants from neighbouring countries, effectively sidelining the indigenous population.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 5:48pm
The JFD has called for a two-day general strike across Manipur starting from midnight on August 17. Convenor Jeetendra Ningombam said the move stems from the government ignoring repeated pleas to complete the NRC process before moving forward with census house-listing. Civil society groups representing Naga and Meitei Pangal communities have thrown their weight behind the strike.
Protests continue to widen across the state. Demonstrators held a sit-in at Khwairamband Ima Market, where traders shuttered shops in solidarity. The student wing also moved to block training sessions at the DM Teacher Training College and the Hindi Teachers Training College. JFD organizing secretary Longjam Ratan pointed to a 1980 agreement with the government regarding illegal immigration, claiming that authorities have failed to act on these long-standing commitments for decades.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 9:50pm
A coalition of 14 civil society organizations, including the Kom, Kabui, and Rongmei Unions alongside Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, took the fight to the Governor on Monday. The group demanded he force a meeting with central leaders in New Delhi to resolve how to detect illegal migrants, whether via the Foreigners Act or a formal NRC, before any census or delimitation efforts proceed. The delegation is pushing to keep delimitation frozen, pointing to the pitfalls in Assam where the process outpaced migration checks.
Shanta Nahakpam, leading the 14-group delegation, noted that a recent state government conference reached a consensus that the census should stay on ice until a clear legal mechanism for identification is in place. While the digital self-enumeration portal was slated to launch Monday, reports indicate the system remains offline.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 1:47am
The strike, set to run until midnight on August 19, marks a widening of the coalition. Representatives from the Naga and Meitei Pangal communities, including the Foothill Naga Coordination Committee and the United Meitei Pangal Committee, joined a JFD press conference to formalize their support for the action. Demonstrators are now explicitly adding "No IDP Settlement, No Census" to their list of slogans, demanding that the state prioritize the resettlement of those displaced for over three years before attempting an accurate count.
Resistance has turned physical at academic sites. Security forces resorted to lathi-charges at the DM College of Teacher Education on Monday, where protesters attempted to halt enumerator training. Two students were hospitalized following the clash: Thokchom Tombi suffered a hand injury, and Kharibam Reshma sustained a head wound. Meanwhile, the movement has reached district levels, with demonstrators and women groups storming the Deputy Commissioner office in Kakching to demand an immediate halt to the exercise.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 1:49pm
Security forces pushed a massive supply convoy into the valley districts just hours before the strike took hold. A total of 644 vehicles, including 469 goods-laden trucks and 175 fuel tankers, arrived from Jiribam under heavy escort. The operation, spanning three separate convoys, followed an ultimatum from the Transporters and Drivers Council, which demanded increased protection after a driver was found dead near the border last week. The government boosted CRPF deployment to facilitate the movement and clear the bottleneck at the Assam-Manipur border.
JFD leadership maintains the strike is a last resort to force government action, explicitly stating they do not intend to cause public hardship. The Transporters and Drivers Council confirmed the influx of supplies provides a vital buffer for the valley during the two-day standstill.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 5:50pm
A woman police officer and a protester were injured during a confrontation at the Imphal East DC office on August 18 as demonstrators gathered under heavy rain to block census training sessions. The violence occurred despite the ongoing 48-hour general strike, prompting protesters to criticize the administration for attempting to host training during a state-wide shutdown.
State government spokesperson Sapan Ranjan publicly sided with the movement on Tuesday, confirming that the administration has repeatedly pressed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for NRC implementation. Ranjan cited formal communications sent to the Centre on January 16, 2023, and June 12, 2024, noting that the legislative assembly passed a resolution in August 2022 seeking the register. The state has proposed sending a delegation of MLAs to New Delhi to lobby the Union government for a unified stance.
The strike has shuttered businesses across Imphal, with additional demonstrations reported in Hiyanglam-Wabagai, where local groups and the Apunba Nupi Lup held rallies at Ema Market. While the government maintains its support for the NRC, officials warned that the prolonged shutdowns are hitting the state’s economy and vulnerable daily-wage workers hard.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 6:01pm
A delegation of BJP MLAs plans to fly to New Delhi on Wednesday to pressure the Union government for a swift NRC implementation. During a press conference at the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, spokespersons Sapam Ranjan Singh and Thokchom Radheshyam Singh confirmed they are aligned with the protesters' core demands. They cited previous government communications sent on January 16, 2023, and June 12, 2024, as evidence of their long-standing efforts to address demographic concerns.
The general strike hit the five valley districts hard, silencing Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur. Shops, banks, and fuel stations stayed shuttered, and public transport vanished from the roads. Protesters enforced the shutdown by dragging bamboo poles, boulders, and burning tires across major highways. While emergency services remain exempt, the government warned that the prolonged stoppage is bleeding the economy dry and crippling daily-wage earners.
Transporters and Drivers Council president Hijam Ranjit confirmed that the influx of 644 vehicles under CRPF escort provided a necessary buffer for the valley. The council, which had threatened to move stranded trucks regardless of protection, pushed for an increase from eight to 10 CRPF escort companies to clear the backlog at the Assam-Manipur border. This move followed the death of driver Nageena Kumar Mahato near the border on August 12.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 9:51pm
Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh returned from New Delhi on Tuesday claiming Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave a positive response to the demand for an updated National Register of Citizens before the Census. Biren Singh said he presented documents detailing past state cabinet decisions and assembly resolutions regarding the NRC, and warned Shah that the state has already flagged 9,026 unauthorized villages.
While the state government continues to advocate for the NRC, they are now coordinating a formal push to force the issue. A delegation of BJP MLAs is set to fly to Delhi to press central leadership for guidance. Government spokesperson Sapam Ranjan Singh confirmed the delegation currently consists of NDA legislators, though he insisted the goal requires a collective effort that transcends political or community lines.
Biren Singh also addressed the economic fallout, acknowledging that the blockades and strikes have choked the supply of essential goods and sent prices soaring. Despite the government's alignment with the protesters' goal, officials have stepped up their pleas for the JFD to call off the 48-hour general strike, citing the toll it is taking on daily wage earners and the general public.
Updated at 19th August 2026 at 10:01am
The United Naga Council (UNC) has officially entered the fray, calling for a 1951 base year for the NRC. The group claims there has been an abnormal explosion in both recognized and unrecognized villages since 1950 and labels the shift a demographic invasion. They want a hard audit of all settlements to de-recognize any deemed fictitious or illegal before the government touches the Census or delimitation.
Government spokesperson Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh confirmed the state has already reached out to the Centre multiple times regarding the registry. In addition to previously reported communications, he cited a specific legislative assembly resolution from March 1, 2024, that reaffirmed the state's 2022 stance. A team of MLAs is now set to fly to New Delhi to press the Union government for formal guidance on the rollout.
Updated at 19th August 2026 at 1:50pm
Government spokesperson Sapam Ranjan Singh confirmed the administration received a communication from the Deputy Registrar-General on February 6, 2023, regarding previous NRC requests. Singh, accompanied by a group of MLAs, emphasized that the state government is pursuing the NRC issue as a collective endeavor that needs to move past political and communal divisions. He noted that the state's push for the register predates the current wave of unrest.
Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, fresh from meetings in New Delhi, reported that Union Home Minister Amit Shah listened to his presentation of state cabinet decisions and assembly resolutions with care. Biren Singh said he provided documentation on 9,026 unauthorized settlements to bolster the case for a verified citizenship register. He urged protesters to drop the 48-hour general strike, citing the suffering of daily wage earners.
The Joint Tribes Council Manipur has joined the fray, officially demanding that 1951 be adopted as the base year for the NRC. The group warns that any population data gathered through the census without a verified citizenship baseline will be distorted. They also called for the de-recognition of villages that failed to meet state legal criteria.
Updated at 19th August 2026 at 5:51pm
Former acting Chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, Khaidem Mani, slammed the decision to send a delegation of MLAs to Delhi to discuss the census and NRC. Speaking at a press conference, Mani argued that elected representatives are no substitute for the state government. He insisted the administration should bypass the delegation approach and communicate its official stance directly through ministers or authorized bureaucratic officers to demand a deferral of the census.
Mani also flagged the crumbling state of the judiciary, noting the High Court of Manipur is currently operating with only three of its five sanctioned judges. He claimed this shortage has choked the justice delivery system and left a backlog of cases piling up, further stressing the state's administrative capacity during the ongoing unrest.
Updated at 19th August 2026 at 9:51pm
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has thrown his weight behind the push to delay the census, arguing that the state’s current climate makes a credible count impossible. Speaking at a press conference, the Congress leader stressed that mass internal displacement since May 2023 means people cannot return to their homes for verification. Ibobi questioned the point of pushing ahead with administrative data collection while the fundamental issues of cross-border migration and displaced populations remain unaddressed, warning that the process will yield flawed demographic results.
The Joint Tribes Council Manipur has issued a formal demand for the 1951 base year to be the bedrock of any NRC rollout. The group is calling on the state and central governments to de-recognize any settlements granted village status without meeting legal requirements. They maintain that the NRC, census, and delimitation are bound together, and they have vowed to ramp up protests including rallies and bandhs if the government tries to move forward with the census before verifying the citizenship of the population.
Updated at 20th August 2026 at 1:45am
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation is taking its fight to the next level. Starting August 20, the group will boycott state and central government offices across Manipur. Convenor Jitendra Ningomba confirmed that while essential services like healthcare, water, electricity, education, and the media are exempt, the pressure on the administration will remain high as the public is urged to lobby their local MLAs for legislative action.
The resistance has broadened its scope as the Manipur Government Higher Secondary Lecturers’ Welfare Association threw its weight behind the movement. On August 19, the association formally appealed to the state to defer all census training and enumeration duties for teachers. General secretary K. Herojit Singh stated that the current political climate puts educators at risk, and the state shouldn't treat teachers as scapegoats in a volatile administrative deadlock.
A coalition of tribal bodies is now coordinating the demand for a 1951 base year for the NRC. The Chandel Naga People’s Organisation joined the chorus, demanding that the census and delimitation stay frozen until a verified citizenship database is established. Meanwhile, protests in Awang Sekmai and Yaingangpokpi saw hundreds of women join the lines, with the Native People’s Committee claiming that unauthorized immigration from Myanmar since the 1950s has ballooned to nearly 300,000 people, a figure they claim is directly distorting the state's demographic makeup.
Updated at 20th August 2026 at 9:47am
The state government has ordered a total shutdown of all schools, colleges, and universities from August 20 to August 22. Education Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Ningthoujam Geoffrey issued the directive late Tuesday, citing the volatile law and order situation as protests against census preparations show no signs of cooling down.
As the JFD office boycott kicks off, the Manipur Government Higher Secondary Lecturers’ Welfare Association is pressing the state to pull teachers from the front lines of the census. General secretary K. Herojit Singh stated that the current climate makes it impossible for educators to conduct door-to-door enumeration, citing safety risks and a lack of public cooperation. The association is calling for a formal pause on all training and field assignments until the government secures a consensus through dialogue.
Updated at 20th August 2026 at 1:50pm
A delegation of 14 civil society organizations, representing Naga, Kom, and Meitei Pangal interests, departed for New Delhi on August 20. The group aims to confront central leadership directly regarding the NRC and the stalled census, moving beyond the efforts of the state-level political teams already in the capital.
Government spokesperson Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh confirmed the state's intent to keep pursuing the NRC at the central level, specifically citing the legislative resolutions from August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024. Despite this stated alignment with protesters, local administration offices are operating under different mandates. An order from the Imphal West Deputy Commissioner, dated August 17, remains in effect, scheduling enumerator and supervisor training sessions through August 29 at the Lamphalpat complex.
Critics are calling out this administrative friction as a political double standard. While BJP legislators publicly endorse the "No NRC, No Census" platform to appease the street, the government machinery continues to process training schedules as if no delay exists. Observers are questioning whether the current lobbying in New Delhi is a genuine effort to stop the exercise or merely a calculated performance to manage public anger while the government hits its data collection targets.
The JFD has officially entered a non-cooperation phase. Starting August 20, the group is boycotting state and central government offices. While essential sectors like health, electricity, and education remain excluded from the boycott, the group is aggressively pushing the public to pressure local MLAs to clarify their positions and commit to formal legislative action. Protesters in areas like Khurai and Lamlong have escalated their dissent by burning effigies of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister, accusing them of failing to stop the census momentum.
Updated at 20th August 2026 at 5:49pm
A student delegation representing ten schools and colleges met with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on August 20 to push for the NRC. The students demanded the government bring the issue to the assembly floor and requested the reopening of educational institutions. Khemchand promised to propose an NRC discussion for the upcoming assembly session starting September 2.
The MGHSLWA confirmed their formal appeal to the state government to defer census duties for teachers, citing the untenable pressure of being caught between state mandates and public protests. The association emphasized that teachers cannot safely conduct door-to-door enumeration while the threat of confrontation with civil society groups remains high.
Updated at 20th August 2026 at 10:07pm
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh pushed back against the timeline for the registry on August 20. Speaking at a Sadbhavna Diwas event at Congress Bhawan, he claimed the Centre could implement the NRC in just two to three months if they possessed the political willpower. He argued the state's small geography makes the audit a manageable task, suggesting that constitutional amendments could be fast-tracked if necessary to bypass legal hurdles.
The joint delegation of 14 civil society groups currently in New Delhi plans to expand their lobbying efforts beyond political parties. The coalition intends to hold sit-downs with Intelligence Bureau officials to present their case for prioritizing citizenship verification over the upcoming delimitation and census exercises.
Updated at 21st August 2026 at 1:48am
Tensions shifted from the streets to the seat of power on August 20, as a large contingent of students from the JFD Students Wing launched a march from the THAU Ground in Thangmeiband. Police blocked the demonstrators at Khuyathong, but authorities eventually allowed a ten-member delegation to proceed to the Chief Minister's Secretariat to press their demands.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met the group, which included representatives from ten prominent schools and colleges. He committed to placing the NRC implementation on the agenda for the legislative assembly session starting September 2. Education Commissioner Ningthoujam Geoffrey and Director of Education (Schools) Ng Bhogendra Meitei attended the meeting, where the students also pushed for the immediate reopening of state schools shuttered during the unrest.
Updated at 21st August 2026 at 5:49pm
A coalition led by the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation has formally petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi via the Governor, warning that the state is too fractured for a reliable count. They argue that nearly 60,000 displaced people are currently outside their home districts, making it impossible to log accurate population data. The group cautioned that sending enumerators into volatile areas could trigger safety risks, potentially leading to incomplete records and skewed resource allocation.
This coalition, which includes the All Manipur Women’s Voluntary Association, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur, the Committee on Human Rights, and the Manipuri Students’ Federation, is pushing for an independent oversight panel to verify citizenship. They specifically flagged border districts like Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong, and Kangpokpi as regions where undocumented migration remains a primary concern for local stakeholders.
The United Naga Council also revealed that their opposition to the census and delimitation is part of a standing demand submitted to the Prime Minister on May 3, 2024. They are specifically calling for a forensic audit of village recognition records dating back to 1950, seeking the de-recognition of any settlements established without proper legal verification.
Updated at 21st August 2026 at 9:50pm
State authorities are turning the screws on the protest leadership. Porompat police filed a suo motu FIR, number 240(08)2026/PRT-PS, against JFD members on August 17 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police slapped charges including obstruction and rioting against the group for organizing the 48-hour general strike. Investigating officers summoned JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningombam and his finance secretary, Sunil Karam, for questioning at the Porompat station on August 20. Ningombam arrived with 18 supporters, while Meira Paibis and other activists staged a defiant show of support outside the station gates.
The JFD’s office-locking campaign is hitting the administration where it hurts. Protesters hit the Thoubal District Commissioner’s complex, padlocking the Exchange, Social Welfare, and Weights and Measures offices. In Kakching district, activists shuttered the Waikhong Sub-Divisional Officer’s building. Reports also confirmed that local Meira Paibis successfully locked down the Directorate of Sericulture in Imphal East on Thursday. Ningombam rejected the police pressure as a distraction, maintaining that the movement will only stop when the state secures a concrete, binding promise to implement the NRC before any census activity.
Updated at 22nd August 2026 at 9:46am
Porompat police are turning the screws on the protest leadership. Officers filed a suo motu FIR, number 240(08)2026/PRT-PS, on August 17 under sections 189, 189(2), 191(2), 351(1), 351(2), and 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complaint, filed by Sub-Inspector Laishram Premjit Singh, initially targeted unnamed JFD members before the station issued a formal summons to convenor Jeetendra Ningombam and finance secretary Sunil Karam.
Ningombam appeared at the Porompat station on August 21 alongside 18 supporters as activists and Ema Meira Paibi members held a vigil outside. During questioning by the Imphal East Additional SP, police pressed the leadership to ensure future agitations do not disrupt public order. Ningombam dismissed the legal pressure as a distraction, declaring that any penalties accrued during the struggle belong to the indigenous people of Manipur.
Meanwhile, the student wing’s office-locking campaign continues to target administrative hubs. Protesters fanned out across the valley to confirm which departments remained operational, padlocking any facilities found open. Beyond the previously reported sites, demonstrators shut down the Exchange, Social Welfare, and Weights and Measures offices within the Thoubal District Commissioner’s complex.
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