IMPHAL: Six student bodies in Manipur have initiated a movement calling for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
Their primary objective is to identify and screen out illegal immigrants to preserve the integrity of Manipur.
As part of this movement, students from Imphal College took to the streets of Imphal on Saturday.
Chanting slogans and holding placards brandishing demands such as “Detect and deport illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh” and “We demand the Centre to implement the NRC in Manipur”, they rallied towards the Governor’s Bungalow to express their support for implementing the NRC.
The peaceful rally, however, encountered resistance when police attempted to halt their progress at Kwakeithel, resulting in a confrontation at the police barricade established at Keishampat bridge.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries during the altercation. Despite this hurdle, the determined students managed to circumvent the barricade and reach the Governor’s Bungalow.
Once there, they staged a sit-in in front of the bungalow gate before eventually dispersing.
The six student bodies involved in this movement include the Manipuri Students Federation (MSF), Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA), Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK), and All India Manipur (AIM).
The movement was officially launched following an announcement by Hijam Roshan, the President of the MSF.
Roshan had stressed the necessity of introducing the NRC, citing recent incidents such as the detention of 44 individuals, including 32 Myanmar nationals, during search operations in Moreh. These actions were undertaken in response to the tragic killing of Moreh SDPO Chingtham Anandkumar.
Notably, the Manipur government had earlier established a Population Commission and requested the Centre to conduct an NRC exercise to identify and deport illegal immigrants, as highlighted by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Earlier, Chief Minister Singh had explained that there would be two categories of the population – indigenous and permanent settlers.
“Those who arrived in Manipur before 1961 would be classified as permanent settlers, while those who arrived after 1961 would not receive this designation,” he had said.
However, the student bodies are demanding that the base year for the NRC be set at 1951.
