Imphal: A rally organised by six powerful student outfits demanding early implementation of the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in the state has been averted by the police from the Raj Bhavan gate, Imphal on Saturday.
The placards held by the protesters read, “Detect and deport illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh,” and “We demand the Centre to implement the NRC in Manipur.”
The rally that started from the Imphal College, near Imphal Airport was foiled by the police at the Raj Bhavan gate, Imphal.
Later, the participants in the rally including female students turned back to the starting point where they held a meeting.
The six student bodies — AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIM — which have been asking the central and state governments for the introduction of the NRC in the state stated that implementation of the NRC is the only long-term policy to check the ever-increasing illegal immigrants in the state.
Notably, the Manipur government set up a Population Commission and asked the Centre to conduct an NRC exercise to detect and deport illegal immigrants, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.
“There will be two categories of the population — indigenous and permanent settlers. Those who came to Manipur before 1961, will be treated as permanent settlers and those who came after 1961, will not be treated as permanent settlers,” Singh added.
However, the students’ bodies are demanding that 1951 should be made the base year of the NRC.