The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) announced plans for a statewide shutdown of Central and State government offices from September 11 if the Centre fails to accept its demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, using 1951 as the base year.
Addressing a press conference at the Citizens Club in Soibam Leikai, JFD Convenor Jeetendra Ningomba said the organisation and the people of Manipur had been demanding an update of the NRC for a long time, followed by the Census exercise, with 1951 retained as the base year.
He said the JFD had set September 10 as the deadline for the Manipur government to convey the demand to the Government of India and for the Centre to issue an official order on the matter. However, no such action had been communicated to the public so far, he said.
Jeetendra warned that if the Manipur government leadership failed to travel to Delhi and pursue the demand with the Centre by Thursday, the JFD would go ahead with the proposed shutdown from September 11.
The shutdown would cover both State and Central government offices and services, including electricity, water supply, medical facilities, agriculture, courts, post offices and banks, he said.
The JFD convenor further warned that any attempt by the government to suppress the movement could lead the organisation and the people of Manipur to resort to various forms of democratic agitation.
He said the government would have to take responsibility for any adverse consequences arising from attempts to suppress the movement.
