Students in Manipur Valley Strike Demand NRC Before Census
· India · The Hindu, India Today NE, News18
Students from the Campaign for Just and Free Delimitation launched a two‑day strike in Manipur’s valley districts on the night of August 18, 2026, demanding that the National Register of Citizens be updated before the 2027 census. The protest shut markets, schools and public transport in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur, while roads were blocked with bamboo poles and stone boulders. In the hill district of Churachandpur the strike had no effect. Earlier protests outside the Directorate of Census Operations led to tear‑gas dispersals. The strike coincided with the start of the self‑enumeration phase of the census on August 17 and the planned house‑listing period from September 1 to 30. The students also forced market vendors to pack up and burnt tyres at Athokpam, Thoubal, chanting “No NRC, No Census.”
Why it matters
The strike halted commerce and education for thousands of residents in five valley districts, disrupting livelihoods and daily routines. The demand for an earlier NRC update could impact the conduct and timing of the 2027 census in Manipur.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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