📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Original: Samudra Bikash Hazarika
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Politics
Manipur Protests Escalate Over NRC as Census 2027 Approaches
✍️ NDTV
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 07:37 PM
👁 2
Demonstrations against the National Register of Citizens have intensified in Manipur as the country prepares for the 2027 Census.
In the days leading up to the scheduled 2027 Census, crowds in Manipur have taken to the streets to voice strong opposition to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Protesters, comprising tribal groups and civil‑society organisations, gathered in several districts, chanting slogans and displaying placards that demand the government halt any NRC exercise in the state.
The demonstrators argue that an NRC could marginalise indigenous communities, disrupt long‑standing land rights and create a climate of fear. They contend that the state's unique demographic profile requires a distinct approach, separate from the NRC framework being discussed at the national level.
State authorities responded by deploying additional police personnel to maintain order and, in some areas, imposing temporary curfews. Officials have called for dialogue with community leaders, urging a peaceful resolution while emphasizing the need to complete the census without disruption.
As the census deadline draws nearer, the standoff highlights the broader tension between national security policies and regional ethnic sensitivities, with Manipur emerging as a flashpoint in the ongoing NRC debate.
The demonstrators argue that an NRC could marginalise indigenous communities, disrupt long‑standing land rights and create a climate of fear. They contend that the state's unique demographic profile requires a distinct approach, separate from the NRC framework being discussed at the national level.
State authorities responded by deploying additional police personnel to maintain order and, in some areas, imposing temporary curfews. Officials have called for dialogue with community leaders, urging a peaceful resolution while emphasizing the need to complete the census without disruption.
As the census deadline draws nearer, the standoff highlights the broader tension between national security policies and regional ethnic sensitivities, with Manipur emerging as a flashpoint in the ongoing NRC debate.