Imphal: Manipur is bracing for a showdown. Students, women’s organizations, and internally displaced families are filling the streets to demand a National Register of Citizens (NRC) update before the 2027 Census begins. The movement, dubbed No NRC, No Census, claims that population data must reflect accurate demographic counts before any official enumeration occurs.
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation is leading the charge. They fear undocumented migration and changing demographics will skew future electoral representation. Displaced families from the 2023 ethnic conflict are also key participants. Many remain in camps far from their original homes. The protesters now emphasize a secondary demand, insisting, “No IDP Settlement, No Census” to protect the rights of those forced from their neighborhoods.
Agitators have held rallies, sit-ins, and human chains throughout the Imphal Valley. On August 20, the JFD Students’ Wing met with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to press the state to petition the Union government for the NRC exercise. The pushback has hit the state hard. A 48-hour general strike disrupted daily life, while local officials in some districts canceled training for census enumerators. Schools closed as law-and-order fears spiked.
State leaders remain caught in the middle. Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam noted the government is open to an NRC exercise within existing legal frameworks, though he clarified that no formal approval or schedule currently exists. The Union government intends to proceed with its own timeline, planning houselisting between April and September 2026, followed by the main population count in February 2027.
Officials maintain that the Census and an NRC are distinct operations. The Census gathers demographic and socio-economic data, while the NRC serves as a citizenship-verification process. Despite these technical differences, for the people of Manipur, the timing remains a flashpoint for long-term political and social stability.
Updated at 23rd August 2026 at 9:47am
The agitation has shifted from daytime rallies to the night. On August 22, protesters staged a torch rally in the Khurai area of Imphal East, marching through Lamlong Bazaar and Tellipati. This is now a recurring tactic, with the JFD planning torchlight protests every night. The group has also ordered a boycott of state and central government offices, though they granted exemptions for essential services like water, electricity, health, and education.
Bemlei Maibam, Secretary Organisation of the World Meetei Organisation, has emerged as a public face for the movement. Her group and others warn that population data from an unverified census will dictate development funding and political resource allocation for years to come.
Government officials have acknowledged the heat. The Manipur Home Department and the State Population Commission recently held a consultative meeting to discuss the census and the citizenship verification demands. While the Home Minister maintains the state is open to the idea, the Union government remains committed to its 2026 and 2027 timeline, which will rely on digital data collection and self enumeration tools.
Updated at 23rd August 2026 at 2:00pm
The opposition to the NRC demand gained a new voice on August 23, when the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) issued a formal statement rejecting the call for an NRC before the Census. The council argued that demanding citizenship verification is premature and lacks a legitimate basis. They warned that the state government or local groups cannot dictate national policy, citing the complicated and lengthy legal fallout from the Assam NRC experience as a reason to avoid a similar path in Manipur.
Instead of an NRC, the KZC is backing the upcoming Census. They believe an impartial count is the only way to settle the ongoing disputes about population and demographics that have flared up during the ethnic conflict. The group pushed for data-backed delimitation to guarantee fair political representation, urging stakeholders to drop the obstructionist tactics and stop using demographic issues for communal propaganda.
Updated at 23rd August 2026 at 9:50pm
The protest movement gained further ground as the Coordinating Committee of Club and Organisations (COCOCO) joined the JFD-led agitation. COCOCO president Samjetsabam Meghachandra declared a complete block on census fieldwork across villages in the Keirao Assembly Constituency, including Keirao Bitra, Langdum, Khanarok, Chanam Sandrok, Wangkhem, Thiyam Konjil, and several Maring and Chiru settlements. The organization issued a stern warning that enumerators and supervisors attempting to enter these areas will be turned away.
The boycott extends to the workforce itself. COCOCO has barred government employees living in these villages from serving as census staff. Addressing the media in Imphal East, Meghachandra demanded that the state police cease filing FIRs against JFD leadership, cautioning that continued legal pressure will only invite further public resistance. He stated the government must stop suppressing the movement and respect local demands to defer the census until citizenship verification is addressed.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 1:48am
Tensions spiked outside the Directorate of Census Operations in Imphal East as police action against protesters left three demonstrators injured. The confrontation signals a hardening of lines as the state government and local civil groups clash with federal timelines.
The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) fired back at the protest organizers, labeling the push for an NRC as premature and lacking any legal basis. The council warned that attempting to force a state-specific citizenship registry ignores the heavy legal burden experienced in Assam, where nearly 1.9 million people faced exclusion and years of tribunal gridlock. Instead, the KZC argued that official census data is the only legitimate tool to settle heated disputes over population status.
Meanwhile, the boycott of census fieldwork continues to widen. Beyond the reported blockades in Keirao, organizers are demanding that the state stop filing FIRs against JFD leadership, threatening further unrest if the government keeps pressing legal charges against those obstructing the enumeration process.
Comments