Imphal: A protest march in Manipur’s Kakching district demanding the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census turned violent on Sunday night, with police using tear gas to control the situation, officials said on Monday.
The confrontation occurred after some participants allegedly threw stones at security personnel during a torchlight procession. Police fired multiple tear-gas shells to break up the gathering after the marchers were stopped while heading towards the Kakching district headquarters.
A sizeable crowd joined the night rally and raised slogans, including “No NRC, No Census”. The protesters insisted that the Census should not be carried out until internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the conflict were resettled.
The procession began near the Wabagai-Hiyanglam Lamkhai Keithel area. It proceeded towards the district headquarters before police intercepted it at Keirak Dam.
Tensions escalated after the protesters were prevented from moving forward. The situation soon deteriorated, with stone-pelting reported and police resorting to tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, s reported by India Today NE.
At least seven people, including four women, were taken into custody during the incident. They were subsequently released, according to reports.
Agitation Continues
The protest was held as part of a wider campaign led by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation. The organisation has been conducting torchlight marches at different places in Manipur in recent days to press its demands concerning the NRC, Census and the delimitation exercise.
The group has called for the Census to be postponed until the NRC is implemented. It has also threatened to enforce a general strike from midnight on August 31 unless the Government of India makes an official announcement on deferring the Census.
The organisation has announced another march on the last day of the forthcoming session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly as part of its ongoing agitation.
The campaign comes against the backdrop of continuing disputes in Manipur over the verification and settlement of displaced people, alleged demographic changes and the proposed delimitation process.
Protesters have argued that conducting the Census before resolving these concerns could affect the state’s future administrative and political arrangements. They have therefore demanded that the authorities first complete the resettlement of IDPs and implement the NRC before beginning the population-counting exercise.