IMPHAL: The campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has announced a series of intensified agitations in Manipur, including a 24-hour statewide general strike on September 1, warning that an indefinite shutdown would follow if its demand for updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year before the Census is not addressed.
Speaking to the media at Citizens Club, Soibam Leikai in Imphal East, JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the organisation and the people of Manipur would not accept the Census unless the NRC is first updated with 1951 as the base year and Indian citizens are properly identified.
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He said the Chief Minister, Home Minister and MLAs, who had gone to New Delhi to take up the issue with central leaders, are returning to the state. The JFD has set midnight of August 31 as the deadline for the Government of India to issue an official assurance that the Census exercise in Manipur will be deferred until the NRC is updated.
“If no official assurance is received by midnight of August 31, a 24-hour statewide general strike will be imposed from midnight of September 1,” Jeetendra said.
The JFD has also placed its demand before the Manipur Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to sit on September 2, 3 and 7. It demanded the House to adopt a resolution that the Census should not be conducted in Manipur until the NRC is updated with 1951 as the base year.
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The campaign committee has further called upon people from across Manipur to march towards the Manipur Legislative Assembly on September 7 to mount pressure for the demand of “No NRC, No Census” and urge the House to take a resolution in line with the people’s demand.
The JFD warned that failure by the Assembly to adopt such a resolution would lead to an indefinite statewide general strike from midnight of September 7.
However, if the House adopts the resolution, the organisation said the Manipur government would be given 48 hours, on September 8 and 9, to ensure that an official order deferring the Census is issued and made public.
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The JFD further warned that if the government fails to issue an official order confirming the deferment of the Census within the stipulated period, a statewide general strike would be launched from September 10 and continue until the Census exercise is deferred.
Reiterating its stand, the JFD said the agitation would continue until the people’s demand of “No NRC, No Census” is addressed.
