Returning Home Is Just The First Step For Displaced Meitei Families In Manipur

NDTV

5 days ago

Imphal West:
After more than two years of heartbreak and displacement, several Meitei families made a poignant return to Kangchup, a village nestled in Lamshang subdivision of Imphal West district in Manipur.
Once filled with laughter and life, their homes now stand as charred remnants of the ethnic violence that erupted in early May 2023 between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes.
The flames not only consumed their houses but also uprooted their lives, forcing them into relief camps overnight. Today, amidst the ruins, hope flickers again.
With the government announcing plans to rehabilitate thousands of displaced families across the state, these villagers dare to dream of rebuilding, not just their homes, but also the bonds that once held their community together.
Internally displaced person Angom Ongbi Memchoubi Devi expressed her gratitude.
"We truly appreciate the government's initiative, and we are very happy at the prospect of returning to our respective homes. Living as dependents on others has been extremely difficult and uncomfortable," Ms Memchoubi told ANI.
"Life in the relief camps is especially challenging. Many of us have been crammed into single rooms with no privacy. Even in the pre-fabricated shelters, the rooms are too small, and the attached bathrooms make daily life quite inconvenient. We wholeheartedly welcome the decision to allow us to return home," she added.
More than 50,000 people from the Meitei community and Kuki tribes were internally displaced during the ethnic clashes, and the majority have spent over two years living in relief camps, waiting, hoping, and enduring.
In Faijang area of Kangpokpi district, rows of fabricated sheet shelters have become makeshift homes, weathering both time and hardship.
Here, 896 people from 184 families continue to live in limbo. While some young people have moved to other districts in search of education or jobs, many remain, with nowhere else to go.
Camp in-charge Momoi acknowledged the government has provided essential facilities, but her heart still longs for Imphal, the city where her life once felt whole.
In-charge of the IDP camp, Momoi, spoke to ANI about the current situation.
"There's no major hardship here. All necessary facilities are being provided by the government. In terms of difficulties, there's nothing significant. But yes, we do miss Imphal -- we've lived there since childhood, went to school and college there, so of course we miss it," she said.
At the IDP camp in Faijang, we met Thomas, a young man with a dream and a voice fluent in Hindi. Having lived in both Imphal and Delhi, Thomas aspires to become a journalist. But in the shadows of displacement, his journey is far from easy.
He said the biggest challenge facing residents of the camp and nearby underdeveloped areas is not just survival, but access to quality healthcare, a basic right that still feels out of reach.
"All of us from the Kuki community who can't return to Imphal due to the conflict have to go to Senapati. After that, for medical facilities, we have to travel to Dimapur, Guwahati, or even Delhi. We IDPs face many problems; some had their homes burned, some were looted, and some lost family members. Many people have also become mentally disturbed because of all this," said Thomas.
As Meitei and Kuki families slowly begin their return, their resilience stands as a powerful reminder of the human spirit's endurance. Yet, true rehabilitation goes beyond physical resettlement; it requires lasting peace, adequate security, and access to essential services like healthcare and education.
Only then can these communities move from survival to rebuilding lives with dignity, hope, and a renewed sense of belonging.