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Women members of Khurai Apunba Club held a torch rally at Lamlong Bazar on Saturday, demanding the implementation and updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) ahead of the upcoming Census exercise.
The protesters called for greater transparency and accountability in the NRC process and urged authorities to address their concerns before the Census exercise. Earlier, on August 16, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) had intensified its protests across key areas of Manipur, demanding an update of the NRC before the Census. As part of the agitation, torch rallies were held at several locations across the state. Following the JFD's appeal urging people to march to the offices of Deputy Commissioners and press the government to defer the Census exercise, demonstrative marches were held along Uripok-Kangchup Road, Tiddim Road, Kongba Road, and Khurai-Lamlong. During the demonstrations, protesters raised slogans stating that the Census exercise should not be conducted until the NRC is updated and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are resettled. The decision to intensify the protests was taken after consultations with leaders of various organisations, including Meira Paibi groups. Also, on August 20, people held protests in Imphal under the call of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), demanding the conduct and updation of the NRC before the Census exercise. Police put up barricades to control the crowd during the protest. A protester highlighted the group's concerns over the Census and NRC process, saying, "We had urged the state government to not conduct a census as the condition of the state is not good. The government had a press briefing saying that some MLAs will meet with the centre, but it does not work this way. We don't have a problem with the census but first NRC should be conducted and the outsiders should be ousted. The government is there for the protection of life, property." (ANI)
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