Imphal: A large protest broke out in Imphal on Wednesday over the upcoming Census scheduled to begin in April this year.
The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Campaign for Just & Fair Delimitation (JFD), with participation from various student organisations and women vendors from Ima Keithel. Protesters stated that they were not opposed to the Census itself, but insisted that the government must first identify illegal immigrants who have entered the state from neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar.
According to the protesters, the presence of these undocumented immigrants has altered the state’s demographic composition and adversely affected indigenous communities and the local economy. They demanded that the government implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism to safeguard the interests of indigenous people before conducting the Census.
Tensions escalated when some protesting women attempted to cross police barricades, leading to a scuffle with security personnel. Police later fired three rounds of smoke bombs to disperse the crowd.
Eyewitnesses reported that at least six to seven people sustained minor injuries during the clash and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
