IMPHAL: A protest by the Campaign for Just & Fair Delimitation (JFD) students wing against census training at DM College of Teacher Education, Thangmeiband, turned tense on Monday after police and central forces blocked the protesters at the college gate and resorted to a lathi-charge.
The JFD students wing had reached the institution seeking to stop the ongoing training of census enumerators and supervisors, as part of its campaign demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the census.
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The confrontation between the protesters and security personnel resulted in injuries to at least two students. The injured were identified as Thokchom Tombi, 20, a student of GP College, who sustained a hand injury, and Kharibam Reshma, 30, a Regional College student and JFD students wing member, who suffered a head injury. Both were taken to Raj Medicity Hospital for treatment.
Speaking to reporters, JFD students wing member and Cultural Secretary of the DMU Students’ Union Angom Daisy alleged that students were subjected to force while protesting against the census training.
She said the JFD would continue its agitation until the training was stopped.
Meanwhile, another JFD students wing team led by the Convenor Naorem Wangamba took out a mass rally from Tiddim Ground to Keishampat Junction.
The protesters raised slogans including “No NRC, No Census” and “No Census Before IDP Resettlement.” They also demanded the suspension of DSP Dhiraj, alleging misconduct during the students’ protest at the Directorate of Census Operations office in Porompat on Sunday.
The JFD has been intensifying its campaign against the census, maintaining that National Register of Citizens updation and the resettlement of internally displaced persons should precede the census in Manipur.
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