Student protesters demanding implementation of the NRC in Manipur before going ahead with the Census staged a demonstration outside the Directorate of Census Operations here on Sunday, prompting police to fire tear gas shells to disperse them, officials said.
Members of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Students’ Wing gathered outside the directorate at Porompat in Imphal East district and raised slogans demanding that no Census activity be undertaken before the NRC is implemented in the state.
The protesters, who were stopped by security personnel from entering the office premises, also attempted to lock the main gate, following which police fired tear gas shells to disperse them.
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the statewide movement would continue until the concerns over demographic changes and the status of displaced people are addressed through legal measures. He said street demonstrations and civil resistance would continue.
On August 14, a 15-member JFD delegation met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Lok Bhavan in Imphal and demanded an update of the NRC and the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) before the Census is conducted.
The anti-Census agitation began in Manipur on August 10, 2026, under the slogan “No NRC, No Census”. The movement has drawn participation from different ethnic communities, including Meiteis, Nagas and Meitei Pangals.
Students stage demonstration demanding NRC before Census in Manipur
