Manipur Strike Disrupts Life Across Five Valley Districts
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Imphal
- Sep 01, 2026
- 151
Normal activities came to a standstill across five districts Manipur's Imphal Valley on Tuesday as the 24-hour statewide shutdown called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) continued despite the Centre’s decision to defer Census operations in the state.
The Manipur bandh, which started at midnight on Monday, was organised around the demand that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be updated before the Census is conducted. The JFD has maintained that the Census should not proceed without addressing its concerns over the NRC.
The shutdown had a visible impact on commercial and public activity. Shops and business establishments remained closed, while roads across the affected areas witnessed significantly reduced traffic. Only a limited number of private vehicles were seen operating.
The five valley districts affected by the shutdown include Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching. Educational institutions and public transport were also affected by the strike, leaving several areas with a deserted appearance.
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Women Protesters Enforce Shutdown at Khwairamband Keithel
The impact of the bandh was particularly visible at Khwairamband Keithel, Imphal’s major commercial centre and the famous women-run market popularly known as Ima Keithel or Nupi Keithel.
Women supporters of the shutdown gathered in the area and urged people who had ventured outside their homes to return. The market remained closed as protesters backed the JFD’s demand for an NRC-related decision before the Census.
Why Did JFD Continue the Manipur Bandh?
The Centre decided on Monday to defer the Census 2027 exercise in Manipur following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The meeting reviewed the situation in the state and considered demands concerning the Census and NRC.
However, the JFD continued with its planned 24-hour strike, arguing that the deferment did not provide the specific assurance it was seeking regarding implementation or updation of the NRC before the Census.
The development has kept the “No NRC, No Census” issue at the centre of political and civil-society activity in Manipur, with the latest shutdown once again affecting normal life in the Imphal Valley.
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