Imphal : Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday appealed to people to refrain from bandhs, blockades and other disruptive agitations, saying such protests were adversely affecting the state’s economy, hampering the supply of essential commodities and causing severe hardship to daily wage earners.

The Chief Minister made the appeal while inaugurating a two-day Consultative Meeting-cum-Seminar on the Demographic Profile of Manipur at Classic Grande, Imphal.

Referring to the recurring highway protests witnessed in recent months, Khemchand Singh said prolonged blockades had stranded truck drivers carrying essential goods into the state, leading to disruptions in the movement of supplies and affecting ordinary citizens.

He said repeated interruptions to transport and commercial activities ultimately hurt vulnerable sections of society, particularly daily wage workers who depend on regular economic activity for their livelihood.

The Chief Minister stressed that the government remained committed to supporting initiatives aimed at public welfare and expressed confidence that the recommendations emerging from the seminar would contribute positively to the interests of the people, provided they remained within the framework of the Constitution.

Khemchand Singh urged citizens to avoid protests that interfere with the normal lives of the public and called for constructive dialogue and constitutional means to address important issues facing the state.

Speaking at the seminar, Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the state government had already conveyed to the Centre its willingness to conduct a National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Manipur in accordance with constitutional provisions and existing laws.

He also said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a High-Level Committee to examine demographic changes in the country and urged people to rise above political and ideological differences to protect the interests of Manipur’s indigenous communities.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Home Department, Government of Manipur, and the Manipur State Population Commission. The event was attended by senior government officials, community leaders, civil society organisations, academicians and intellectuals, who participated in discussions on demographic trends and related policy issues in the state.

The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid continuing concerns over disruptions to road connectivity and the movement of essential commodities in Manipur, where blockades and protest actions have periodically affected transportation, trade and everyday life.