Manipur CM assures students of Assembly discussion on NRC implementation

Imphal, Aug 20 (IANS) Amid protests and agitations demanding updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Thursday said that the issue would be discussed in the ensuing state Assembly session beginning September 2, officials said.

A senior official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Chief Minister Khemchand Singh assured a delegation of students that the government would take up the issue of implementation of the NRC in Manipur for discussion during the ensuing Assembly session beginning from September 2.

The delegation of students, representing 10 schools and colleges, met Khemchand Singh at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal and demanded implementation of the NRC before Census-2027.

The students demanded that the Chief Minister pressurise the Centre to order the implementation of the NRC in Manipur before the Census. The students also demanded that illegal immigrants be identified through the NRC before conducting the Census-2027.

The delegation also urged the Chief Minister to reopen educational institutions in the state. They further demanded that the issue of NRC implementation be discussed in the forthcoming state Assembly session. The Chief Minister also informed the students that the government has always supported the implementation of the NRC in the state.

He added that the conduct of the NRC and its error-free implementation are two issues that need to be addressed. The meeting was attended by Commissioner of Education Ningthoujam Geoffrey and Director of Education (School) Ng. Bhogendra Meitei.

The student delegation comprised representatives from DM College of Science, Manipur College, CC Higher Secondary School, Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Nambol Higher Secondary School, T.G. Higher Secondary School, Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Ram Lal Paul School, Model Higher Secondary School and Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School.

Meanwhile, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) started agitations mainly in the Imphal Valley region from midnight on August 17, demanding updation of the NRC in Manipur before Census-2027.

Normal life was badly affected on Tuesday and Wednesday in view of the 48-hour shutdown that began at midnight on Monday. Various student and youth organisations, women’s bodies, including the influential ‘Meira Paibi (women torchbearers)’, and civil society organisations have been supporting the shutdown.

The Education Department of the state government announced that all educational institutions in the state would remain closed for three days from Thursday, citing the “prevailing law and order situation”.

–IANS

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