Students in Manipur launched agitation demanding implementation of NRC

Imphal (Manipur): Amid the communal tension simmering in Manipur, six major student bodies of the state on Saturday launched agitation demanding implementation of National Registers of Citizen (NRC) to identify and throw out all illegal immigrants.

The six student bodies-MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK, AIMS and another student union on Friday, the 3rd November had announced that students of various schools, colleges and universities in Manipur will launch agitation from Saturday to demand the implementation of National Registers of Citizen (NRC) in the State. The six student bodies have been asking the central and state governments to implement NRC to check the illegal immigrants in the state.

As announced, the six student bodies with huge numbers of students in Imphal carried out a rally from Imphal College in Imphal West. The Students marched towards Governor’s Bungalow (Raj Bhavan) located at proper Imphal, raising slogans and holding placards.

Placards with slogans that read “Detect and Deport Illegal Immigrants, Implement NRC in Manipur” were used during the rally. As the students reached Keishampat Traffic Junction just 300 metres away from Raj Bhavan, police stopped the students from marching ahead using barricades. Angry over the halting, an intense confrontation occurred between police and protesting students. However, the agitating students managed to pass through the police barricades and reached the gate of Raj Bhavan.

The students sat on the road in front of the gate of Raj Bhavan and chanted slogans for immediate implementation of NRC. Police also maintained a strict vigil near the students to prevent untoward incidents during the protest.

One of the student leaders said that student organizations and CSOs for a long time had been demanding the central and state governments to carry out NRC to identify illegal immigrants who are creating a big demographic change in the state.

 “After an SPDO was shot dead at Indo Myanmar Border town Moreh,  32 Myanmarese were arrested in combing operation carried out by security forces and this shows there is population invasion”, the student leader said. He also said that the state government must pressure the central government to immediately take up NRC in the state.