JFD announces 24-hour Manipur strike from August 31, demanding census deferment and NRC update using 1951 as base year
IMPHAL — The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) has announced a 24-hour general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 31 if the Centre fails to officially announce the deferment of the census and initiate the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by then.
JFD convenor Jeetendra Ningomba made the announcement at a press conference in Imphal on Friday following a two-hour meeting of the civil society body.
The JFD has been demanding that the census be postponed until the NRC is updated using 1951 as the base year. It had set August 31 as the deadline for the Centre to clarify its position on the demands.
Ningomba said senior state leaders, including the chief minister, home minister and ruling MLAs, had travelled to New Delhi following the protests and agitation. However, he claimed that no official announcement had been made on the issue even after their return to the state following meetings with central leaders.
He said the JFD also plans to march towards the Manipur Assembly on September 7, the final day of the upcoming session, to ascertain whether its demands have been acted upon.
The eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly is scheduled from September 2 to 7, with three days of sittings.
Ningomba warned that if the Assembly fails to adopt a resolution supporting the JFD’s “No census, no NRC” demand, the organisation would launch an indefinite general strike from midnight on September 7.
The JFD had earlier called a 48-hour shutdown across Manipur from midnight on August 17, protesting the proposed commencement of the census exercise without first updating the NRC.