The ‘Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Student Wing’ has announced a two-day general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 17, demanding implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the commencement of the Census exercise in the state.

The house-listing phase of Census 2027 is scheduled to begin with self-enumeration from August 17. The main house-listing operation is scheduled from September 1 to September 30 this year.

The strike comes amid growing protests in Imphal and across valley districts against preparations for the Census. Students, market bodies and civil society organisations have opposed the exercise and threatened to boycott the process.

The general strike has received support from several civil society organisations, including the United Meitei Naga Committee Manipur, Federation of Naga Civil Society (FNCC), Chandel Naga People’s Organisation, United Meitei Pangal Committee, and Native People’s Committee Manipur.

The JFD has appealed to the public to extend support to the two-day strike, aimed at mounting pressure on the authorities to conduct the NRC exercise before the Census.

In solidarity with JFD’s demand for NRC, many civil society bodies staged different forms of protests at several locations across the Imphal valley on Monday. The agitation was particularly visible at Khwairamband Keithel, the state’s largest commercial hub, which remained closed after the three women’s markets held public meetings and subsequently shut down in support of the protest.

Tensions were also reported on the DM University campus, where students reportedly clashed with police while attempting to stop Census-related training at the DM College of Teacher Education and Hindi Teacher Training College. According to reports, at least two student protesters sustained injuries in an alleged police lathicharge.

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Meanwhile, a large student rally began from Kwakeithel and proceeded towards Keisampat, with the procession continuing at the time of filing. Students chanted slogans opposing the Census exercise and called for its collective boycott.

At CC Higher Secondary School, Imphal, students also staged a protest in the high-security zone. The All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), which joined the protest, also opposed reports of a possible land swap between India and Myanmar. AMSU members expressed concern that any such move could affect Manipur’s territorial integrity.

Protests were reported from multiple locations across the Imphal valley, disrupting normal activities and prompting heightened security deployment at several sensitive points.

The JFD, a conglomerate of civil bodies, is demanding a halt on any form of census-related exercise in the state until illegal immigrants are properly identified, using 1951 as the base cut-off year.