JFD announces a 24-hour statewide Manipur strike from August 31 over its demand to update the 1951 NRC before the Census, with an indefinite strike threatened from September 7.
Imphal, August 28: The Joint Forum for Democracy (JFD) has announced a 24-hour statewide general strike in Manipur from midnight of August 31 to midnight of September 1, demanding that the Census be postponed until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated using 1951 as the base year.
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba made the announcement while addressing media persons at Soibam Leikai Community Hall in Imphal on Friday evening.
Jeetendra said the Manipur Legislative Assembly should adopt a resolution during its upcoming session against conducting the Census before updating the NRC. He said the demand should be considered during the eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on September 2.
The JFD has also called for a mass march towards the Assembly on September 7, the final day of the session, so that people can hear the Assembly's position on the demand.
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According to Jeetendra, various forms of agitation have been undertaken by the public and the JFD in support of the demand that the Census should not be conducted until the NRC is updated with 1951 as the base year.
He referred to recent visits to New Delhi by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, the state's Home Minister and MLAs to meet leaders of the Union government. However, he claimed that no information had so far been communicated to the public regarding postponement of the Census to allow the NRC to be updated first.
JFD sets deadlines for further agitation
Jeetendra announced that the August 31-September 1 general strike would be the first phase of the planned agitation.
He said that if the Assembly does not pass a resolution supporting the public demand during its upcoming session, an indefinite statewide general strike would begin from midnight on September 7.
The JFD has proposed a further 48-hour window if the Assembly adopts the resolution. According to Jeetendra, September 8 and 9 would be given to the state government to implement the resolution and press for the postponement of the Census.
If the government fails to produce an order postponing the Census within that period, the JFD would enforce another indefinite statewide general strike from September 10 until the Census is postponed, he stated.
The organisation's campaign is centred on the slogan “No NRC, No Census”, with the JFD maintaining that the NRC should be updated before the Census exercise is carried out in Manipur.
The demand comes amid ongoing legal proceedings before the High Court of Manipur concerning the Census and NRC. The court has fixed August 31 for hearing petitions involving the Census exercise and demands concerning the NRC, with a special Division Bench constituted for the proceedings.
Appeal to suspend public celebrations
The JFD has also appealed to the people of Manipur not to organise celebrations, music festivals, plays, film screenings, housie, fairs and similar public events until the demand for updating the NRC before the Census is achieved.
The organisation said its proposed actions were aimed at pressing the state government and the Assembly to formally take up the demand.
The announced shutdown and subsequent agitation remain proposals of the JFD, and their implementation will depend on developments during the Assembly session and the government's response.
