NRC before Census has become the central demand behind a fresh phase of protests in Manipur, where members of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Students’ Wing locked several government offices on August 21.
The action followed a wider boycott call against state and Central government offices. Protesters are demanding that the National Register of Citizens be updated before Census-related work proceeds in the state. They have also said the agitation will continue until the government takes steps to defer the Census and begin the NRC exercise.
Office-locking campaign expands
According to reports, JFD student wing members visited government offices to check whether they were functioning and locked some that were found operational. Essential services, including health, education, water supply and electricity, were excluded from the boycott.
In Thoubal district, protesters visited the District Commissioner’s complex and locked the Exchange office, Social Welfare office and Weights and Measures office. In Kakching district, they locked the Waikhong Sub-Divisional Officer’s office.
The Directorate of Sericulture in Imphal East had also been locked by local Meira Paibis on August 20, according to the protesters. The latest actions mark an escalation of the campaign after the JFD announced its office boycott from August 20.
NRC before Census remains core demand
The JFD has repeatedly argued that the NRC should be updated before the Census. Protesters say this would help address their concerns about alleged illegal immigration and ensure that population data reflects what they consider the state’s actual demographic structure.
However, these claims remain the protesters’ stated position and should not be treated as established findings. The group has linked its NRC demand to wider concerns over demographic change, political representation and the delimitation process.
The campaign has intensified as Census-related preparations continue. On August 16, students demonstrated outside the Directorate of Census Operations in Porompat, Imphal East. Police used tear gas after protesters attempted to lock the main gate, according to officials cited by PTI.
Earlier, student protesters also disrupted a training programme for census enumerators and supervisors at Moirang College in Bishnupur district. The developments have increased pressure around the proposed Census exercise in Manipur.
Protests spread across districts
The office boycott is part of a broader campaign that has included rallies, sit-ins and attempts to halt Census-related activities. On August 20, JFD-linked women protesters in Thoubal marched towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office and attempted to lock the gate.
Police intervened, after which representatives of the protesters met the Deputy Commissioner. A similar delegation in Kakching urged officials to halt Census-related work, including training for supervisors and enumerators.
Meanwhile, students have remained active in the campaign. On August 20, a large group from the JFD Students’ Wing rallied in Imphal and sought to meet Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. A 10-member delegation was allowed to proceed to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat after police stopped the march at Khuyathong.
Census process faces continued pressure
Census 2027 preparations have already entered the house-listing stage. The self-enumeration phase was scheduled to begin on August 17, while the main house-listing exercise is scheduled from September 1 to 30, according to PTI.
The protests, therefore, are unfolding amid continued demands for NRC before Census. The JFD has called for the process to be deferred until the NRC is undertaken, while the government’s Census preparations have continued.
The campaign has also drawn support from other civil society groups, although participation and positions have varied across districts. Reports from Imphal, Thoubal and Kakching indicate that the issue remains politically sensitive and closely linked to debates over identity, representation and population data.
Pressure builds as NRC demand continues
For now, NRC before Census remains the central slogan of the student-led agitation. The latest office-locking actions show why NRC before Census has become the focus of the campaign.
The campaign’s next phase will depend on how the state and central authorities respond to the demand. Meanwhile, protesters have indicated that government offices and Census-related activities may continue to face disruption as long as their call for NRC before Census remains unresolved.
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