Internally displaced families in Manipur intensify protest, demand immediate resettlement

Protests by internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur intensified on November 30, as hundreds of displaced families living in relief camps marched to Kangla and continued their demonstration up to Uripok Achom Leikai in Imphal West, where a public meeting was held.
 

The protesters, many of whom have been living in relief camps for months, expressed strong resentment over the government’s decision to hold the Sangai Festival while thousands remain unable to return to their homes. The demonstrators shouted slogans condemning the state’s priorities and demanding urgent steps for resettlement.
 

Carrying placards that read “Right to life can’t be bargained with Sangai Festival,” “Displaced lives matter, not empty festivals,” and “Manipur wants resettlement, not celebrations,” the IDPs voiced their frustration over what they described as government neglect.
 

One visibly distressed protester told reporters that life in relief camps had become unbearable. “It is better to die than suffer like this,” she said. “The government is celebrating festivals while we continue to live in small, congested rooms with no privacy and no proper livelihood. Even animals long for their homes, why not us? We are human beings of this state. Why can’t we return to our own villages?”
 

She added that the failure to rehabilitate the displaced families in their native areas was “deeply unfortunate” and a violation of their basic rights.
 

Agitators from various locations across the valley also joined in, asserting that resettlement must be the government’s top priority. They urged the authorities to restore normalcy and make arrangements that would allow them to go back to their homes with dignity and safety.

The IDPs announced that their protests will continue until concrete steps are taken to ensure their rehabilitation.