Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh urges calm, supports NRC update
Manipur's Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh is asking everyone to stay calm after a group of civil society organizations called for a 24-hour shutdown starting August 31.
They want the central government to delay the census and update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) first.
Singh supports updating the NRC but feels shutting down the state will only make life tougher for regular people.
Manipur ethnic groups split over NRC
The push for an NRC update before the census has sparked debate in Manipur.
Some groups, like Meitei and Naga, say it's needed to stop illegal immigration from Myanmar, while Kuki-Zo groups worry that using 1951 as a base year could hurt hill tribes.
Civil society leaders believe an updated NRC is key to protecting the existential threat the indigenous communities of Manipur have been facing from "non-native" settlers, pointing out that other states have delayed census exercises over similar concerns.