Shops and business establishments remained closed across Imphal on August 18 as a 48-hour statewide general strike over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) entered its second day, organisers and officials said. The shutdown, called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), began at midnight on August 17 and is scheduled to continue until midnight on August 19. The JFD is demanding that an updated NRC for Manipur be completed before the next Census is conducted.
Protests and demonstrations in support of the strike were reported from several parts of the state. In Hiyanglam-Wabagai, members of Apunba Nupi Lup and local youth held rallies at Ema Market and Lamkhai Keithel, underscoring local backing for the shutdown and the call for an NRC prior to the Census.
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the agitation aims to press the government to address concerns about demographic changes and alleged illegal migration, and to ensure the NRC is undertaken before Census operations begin. The strike follows growing opposition in segments of the population to conducting the Census without first resolving NRC-related issues.
The Manipur government said it shares several concerns raised by protesters but urged that grievances be pursued through peaceful, democratic means. State government spokesperson and MLA Sapan Ranjan, speaking at a press conference at the DIPR hall in Imphal on Tuesday, said the state is “on the same page as the people of Manipur” and understands the demand that the NRC be conducted before the Census. He noted the Assembly passed a resolution in August 2022 seeking NRC implementation and that the state has repeatedly taken up the matter with the Centre.
Ranjan said the state had communicated with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, citing a letter from the state Commissioner to the Union Home Secretary dated January 16, 2023, and another communication from Joint Secretary Mayengbam Veto dated June 12, 2024. He added the government will continue to press the Centre and indicated a delegation of MLAs might travel to New Delhi to raise the issue.
While endorsing the demand that the NRC precede the Census, the government warned of the economic impact of prolonged shutdowns on daily-wage earners and other vulnerable groups and appealed for calm. The JFD strike is set to continue across Manipur until midnight on August 19.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/video/manipur-shuts-down-as-jfd-strike-enters-second-day-over-nrc-demand-1439436-2026-08-18?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-08-18 13:43:00
