Imphal: Women vendors and shopkeepers at Khwairamband Keithel are ramping up their protests today. They demand the Government of India and the Manipur government put pen to paper. The group wants a formal order stating the national Census will only start after the NRC is updated. Sit-in protests began yesterday at the market site. They refuse to quit.
The demonstrators insist the state must finish the NRC process and return conflict-displaced people to their homes before any census work happens. While the state government voiced support for deferring the count, the vendors claim no official notice exists. They stated, "The agitation would not be withdrawn until the government issues a written and formal order clearly stating that the Census will be conducted only after the NRC is updated."
Vendors across the area face financial pain. The protests have hit their daily livelihoods hard. Despite the struggle, the group urged all local business owners to shut down their stalls and join the cause. They plan to hold the line until they get the paperwork they demand.
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