Manipur Census Protest Turns Tense at Ima Market, Police Fire Tear Gas as Five Injured

Protesters from across Manipur gathered at Ima Market in Imphal on Wednesday under the banner of the Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) organisation to oppose the ongoing census process in the state, in a demonstration that turned tense after police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

Five protesters were reportedly injured in the incident.

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Naorem Wangamba, Assistant Secretary (Organisation) of JFD, said the organisation is demanding a "Just and Fair Census" alongside a transparent delimitation process.

The group's central demand is that the ongoing census be deferred until illegal immigrants are properly identified, with 1951 set as the base cut-off year for determining citizenship. Wangamba warned that if the census proceeds without first segregating illegal immigrants from bona fide Indian citizens, there is a risk that undocumented residents could end up being inadvertently legalised — a move he said would violate both constitutional principles and factual ground realities.

Wangamba noted that JFD had already submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Minister on December 15, 2025, urging the Centre to postpone the census in Manipur until illegal immigrants are detected and the state's ongoing conflict is resolved.