Manipur shutdown over NRC demand; normal life disrupted across Imphal Valley

Imphal: Normal life across Manipur’s Imphal Valley was severely disrupted on Tuesday as people extended widespread support to the 48‑hour general shutdown called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated in the state before the Census‑2027.

Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who returned to Imphal after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, said the Centre would take positive action on updating the NRC in Manipur.

The 48‑hour shutdown, which began at midnight on Monday and is scheduled to continue until midnight on Wednesday, brought transport, business and commercial activities to a near standstill. Roads were deserted, and shops remained closed across large parts of the Imphal Valley, which comprises six districts: Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and Jiribam.

Shutdown supporters and activists blocked vehicular movement at multiple locations, affecting even the passage of VIP convoys, doctors, government employees and security personnel. Braving heavy rain in the evening, protesters, including women, remained on the roads enforcing the shutdown.

A police official said the strike remained largely peaceful, though tension was reported at some places. In one incident, a security forces convoy reportedly used a mock bomb against a group of strike supporters, injuring a woman. In Porompat, Imphal East, at least four women protesters sustained injuries during police action and were rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) hospital.

In Kakching district, members of the Apunba Nupi Lup and local youth staged demonstrations at Ema Market and Lamkhai Keithel in Hiyanglam‑Wabagai, preventing vehicular movement, including VIP vehicles. Civil society organisations, student bodies, Meira Paibis and Jiribam residents blocked National Highway‑37 (NH‑37), disrupting traffic along the key highway connecting Jiribam with Imphal.

Singh, accompanied by MLAs, met Shah in New Delhi on Monday before returning to Imphal. “We have apprised the Home Minister of the situation regarding the NRC, the strike and the agitation. I believe the Home Minister will take some positive action regarding this vital issue,” Singh told the media.

He said several issues concerning Manipur, including demographic imbalance, were raised during the meeting.

Singh added that Shah’s response to the demand for conducting the NRC before the Census was positive.

IANS