Imphal, Aug 19: Protesters burnt effigies of politicians and took out rallies in different parts of Manipur’s valley districts as the 48-hour general strike demanding updation of the NRC ended on Wednesday.
The strike had been called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) to press for updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census exercise is conducted in the state.
At Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East district, bandh supporters burnt effigies of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh and Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam.
They raised slogans such as “No NRC, No Census” and demanded that the census not be conducted until internally displaced persons (IDPs) return to their native places.
Dozens of demonstrators also took out a protest rally at Singjamei in Imphal West district and marched for nearly 2 km to press their demands.
Road blockades continued at several locations in Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur and Thoubal districts, with bandh supporters stopping private vehicles as well as security forces from proceeding and asking them to return.
A census training programme for supervisors, enumerators and field trainers was also cancelled in Thoubal district, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Council of Teachers’ Associations (COTA), Manipur, said it was “highly aggrieved” by the circumstances under which census enumeration training was being conducted.
“Teachers assigned as enumerators and supervisors for the Census are facing embarrassment, humiliation and different forms of obstacles while attending training sessions complying with the government orders,” it said.
COTA appealed to the state government and civil society organisations (CSOs) agitating for NRC updation before the census enumeration to find an amicable solution at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the JFD announced that it would boycott state and central government offices from Thursday as the next phase of its agitation.
“Essential services including water, power and medical will, however, be exempted from the boycott,” JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba told reporters.
