Photo Courtesy: nenow
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.
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