Imphal, September 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Manipur government on Sunday urged civil society organisations (CSOs) to withdraw their ongoing agitations, including the closure of Central and state government offices, over their demand for updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
State government spokespersons Thokchom Radheshyam Singh and Sapam Ranjan Singh, both BJP MLAs, said the protests were causing hardship and inconvenience to the general public.
Addressing a press conference, Radheshyam Singh said the government was fully aware of the Campaign for Justice and Fair Delimitation (CJFD)’s demand and that people in Manipur also wanted the NRC updated before the Census-2027 exercise.
He said the recently concluded Assembly session reaffirmed its earlier resolution seeking updation of the NRC before Census-2027, and Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had conveyed the demand to the Centre.
Radheshyam Singh said the Assembly had also discussed the 1951 base year for the NRC on the final day of the session, with the matter subsequently conveyed to the Union Home Ministry.
He added that the Chief Minister had raised the issue with Central leaders following a campaign by Manipur legislators in New Delhi. According to the spokesperson, the Centre subsequently deferred the Census process in the state.
Against this backdrop, the CJFD intensified its agitation by calling for the closure of government offices. Radheshyam Singh cautioned that prolonged protests could disrupt government functioning and cause further inconvenience to citizens.
He appealed to the CJFD and other organisations not to intensify or prolong their agitation and urged all sections of society to “give peace a chance in Manipur” while supporting efforts to restore normalcy.
The spokespersons also said State Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh and several MLAs had been camping in New Delhi for the past few days to press the Centre on the demand for updation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year.
The latest agitation follows protests since August 17 across the five Imphal Valley districts — Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching. On August 31, the Centre announced that the Census-2027 exercise in Manipur would be deferred amid the continuing protests.
However, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex body representing the Kuki-Zo tribal community, has opposed the demand. KZC spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said there was no constitutional provision for conducting an NRC exercise exclusively in one state, arguing that the NRC is a national exercise.
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