Protests erupt over census preparation, three hurt

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 11 : Vehement protests erupted at two places in Imphal today over the scheduled census operations and its preparations, forcing security forces to crack down on the protesters resulting in injuries to three women.  
Members and volunteers of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (CJFD) marched to the State Academy of Training, Takyelpat this morning and staged a protest demonstration there.
At around 10.30 am today, CJFD  members and volunteers stormed the office complex of the State Academy of Training, Takyelpat all of a sudden where a training for the census operations was to be started from today.
The protesters called out all those present inside the academy building.
They also staged a protest demonstration inside the academy’s complex after locking its main entrance gate.
On getting information that a similar protest might be carried out at Khwairamband Ima Keithels, a large number of security personnel were deployed at Khwairamband Keithel and all the roads leading toward Ima Keithels were blocked by police.
In spite of all these preemptive measures, womenfolk of Khwairamband Ima Keithels and CJFD members staged a protest demonstration in the open space between the two Ima Keithels on the side of Thangal Bazar at around 11 am.
Soon after the protest started, a large number of security personnel rushed to the spot and prevented the protesters from taking their protest to the main road.
The protesters shouted slogans demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants before starting census operations.
They also held banners and placards embossed with the same demand.
As the protesters tried to forcefully take out their protest rally to the main road, a heated argument erupted between the protesters and the security personnel which lasted for around 30 minutes.
The protesters kept on pushing the security personnel to make their way.
Security personnel used loudspeakers and asked the protesters to vacate the place and return to their respective places.
Despite the warning from police, the protesters intensified their protest and struggled to make their way forcibly.
At this stage, the security personnel responded by firing smoke grenades and tear gas shells upon the protesters.
During the police action, three women sustained injuries and they were evacuated to Raj Medicity.
All the three women were later discharged after treatment.
The situation was brought under control at around 12 noon.
Speaking to media persons, CJFD member Mayengbam Somorjit Meitei said that Principal Census Officer Kiyam Chandrakumar passed an order on February 27, 2026 informing that a training for the Manipur Census 2027 will be held at the State Academy of Training on March 11, 2026 which is totally against the collective demand of CJFD and the people.
He said that they have been urging the Union Home Minister and the Governor of Manipur to defer the census operations.
The Central Government and the Union Home Minister have admitted that a large number of illegal immigrants are present in Manipur, and the illegal immigrants have their hand in the violent crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023, he said.
At a time when the State is facing a serious threat of demographic imbalance due to the presence of illegal immigrants, conducting census operations without first identifying and repatriating illegal immigrants will create more problems in the State, Somorjit said.
He asserted that the authorities concerned must first identify the illegal immigrants settled in different parts of the State through the National Register of Citizens or a similar mechanism before census operations are carried out.
He also appealed to the Chief Minister to adopt a resolution in the ongoing State Assembly session to defer all census-related works in the State.
Meanwhile the Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK) has pledged unstinted support to the CJFD’s protest movements against the scheduled census operations in Manipur.
Through a press release, SUK said that it will stand firm against carrying out census operations until and unless all the IDPs are resettled and complete normalcy is restored in the State.