Displaced families at Kwakta relief camp protest Sangai festival, demand return home

Internally displaced persons living at the Kwakta Relief Camp in Bishnupur district staged a protest on Saturday, demanding that the government ensure their immediate return to their native villages. 

The demonstrators expressed strong objection to the ongoing Sangai Festival, arguing that the state should first address their prolonged displacement before hosting a major tourism event.

The IDPs said they have spent more than two years in relief camps, and despite their continued suffering, the government appears more focused on projecting normalcy. 

“If they can organise the Sangai Festival thinking normalcy has returned, then why can’t they allow us to go home?” one of the protesters asked.

Tension had also flared on Friday at Phugakchao Ikhai, where a large group of displaced residents from Churachandpur, Torbung Bangla and several abandoned villages attempted to march back to their homes. Security forces stopped the march, firing tear gas shells after the situation grew tense.

The protesters urged the government to prioritise their safe and dignified return and restore normalcy in their villages without further delay.