India, Aug. 18 -- Road blockades marked the first day of a 48-hour strike called in Manipur's five valley districts to press for an NRC exercise before the Census.

The strike, called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), began at midnight on Monday.

The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 began on August 17. The house-listing operation is scheduled from September 1 to September 30.

Supporters in several localities of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Kakching districts blocked roads using bamboo poles, discarded furniture, burning tyres and stone boulders to enforce the strike.

At Kongba and Khurai in Imphal East, bandh supporters stopped private vehicles and asked commuters to turn back or take alternative route...