Manipur protest against Census without NRC turns violent

Three protesters were allegedly injured on Sunday when police fired tear gas shells to disperse a demonstration outside the Directorate of Census Operations at Porompat in Imphal East, a day before the self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 was to begin. The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Students' Wing said three protesters were hurt, one critically. Police said only one protester suffered minor injuries. The Assam Tribune reports the claims could not be independently verified.

On Monday, two students were injured during a lathi-charge by police at Dhanamanjuri University in Imphal, where protesters tried to intervene in a census training session, according to the Hindustan Times, citing police. The JFD called a 48-hour total shutdown across the state. The JFD has demanded that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented before the census to identify illegal immigrants. Protesters raised slogans of 'No NRC, No Census'.

The JFD also demands resettlement of internally displaced persons before the census. The house-listing exercise is scheduled from September 1 to 30, 2026. The JFD said it would intensify its agitation, with further protest programmes from Sunday evening.