'Running out of patience': 2 years on, those displaced in Manipur strife long to return home

Guwahati: "We are running out of patience now," Naba Ningthoujam, a leader of more than 13,000 Meitei persons, who were displaced from Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district in May 2023, told DH as he awaited steps from Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for facilitating return to their homes.

Shopkeeper Ningthoujam and his five-member family had to flee to Meitei-dominated Bishnupur as the Meitei-Kuki conflict flared up. His grocery shop at Churachandpur town was gutted by armed persons belonging to the Kuki communities. "We thought we will be back after a few months. Now it has been more than two years. How many more years we will wait like this?" he asked.

As the Meitei-Kuki conflict remains unresolved even after nearly five months since the promulgation of the President's Rule, anger and worry among the displaced persons, belonging to both Meitei and the Kuki communities, are growing.

As efforts for a resolution to the conflict did not see any outcome, more than 100 Meitei displaced persons on July 16 tried to forcefully return to their homes at Doilaithabi in Imphal East district, which is situated close to a Kuki-dominated area. As sporadic incidents of firing along the fringes posed threat to them, they were provided shelter near Sajiwa. Police and other central forces personnel stopped them citing safety concerns. As the roads towards their original homes were blocked by the security forces, some of them crossed a river and tried to return to their homes. "These kind of steps sugget how restless the displaced persons have become," Naba said.

Five organisations representing the displaced Meiteis from Kuki-dominated Churachandpur and Moreh in Tengnoupal district submitted a memorandum to Governor Bhalla urging for steps for their safe return. "The government wants us to stay in pre-fabricated houses till a solution to the conflict is reached. But most of the displaced persons want to return to their original homes and want adequate security there. We have not been able to do cultivation in our own land in the last two years," he said.

He said 17,500 Meiteis, 13,000 from Churachandpur and 4,500 from Moreh, have been taking shelter in the Imphal Valley districts. "The number of total displaced Meiteis will be more if we count those from the fringe areas of other districts. All are equally suffering, living in unhygienic camps, kids are not getting proper education and elders and the ailing inmates are immensely suffering due to lack of proper treatment facilities," he said. "At least 68 displaced persons have died in relief camps, mainly due to lack of timely treatment," Ningthoujam said.

Many such displaced persons staged protests seeking an end to the conflict and steps for safe return to their homes.

The Kuki villagers, who similarly got displaced from the Meitei-dominated Valley, and took shelter in Kuki dominated Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, too are equally suffering. While the Kukis are firm on their demand for a "separate administration," Meiteis are opposed to division of Manipur and seeks a National Register of Citizens to detect "illegal Chin-Kuki migrants" from Myanmar. More than 260 people died and over 60,000 got displaced in the conflict.

Demand of the displaced:

• A special package for education of the displaced students.

• Prompt and organised resettlement.

• Livelihood support.

• Address problems of documents.

• Management of the relief camps by the displaced persons.