Manipur people deserve special package for rehabilitation and economic revival: Civil bodies

The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) on January 20 said the people of Manipur deserve a special package for rehabilitation, resettlement and economic revival, asserting that the ongoing crisis has severely affected the state across social, political and economic spheres. 

AMUCO, along with like-minded organisations, claimed that the situation has caused widespread hardship and requires immediate and sustained intervention by the Government of India.

The demand was raised during an outreach programme conducted by AMUCO in association with Poirei Leimarol Meirapaibi Apunba Manipur (PLMPAM), the Committee on Human Rights (COHR), the All Manipur Women’s Voluntary Association (AMAWOVA) and the Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF). As part of the programme, a joint team visited Leitanpokpi village, one of the vulnerable areas in Imphal East district.

During the visit, the team distributed humanitarian assistance to affected residents and interacted with villagers to understand their concerns and experiences amid the ongoing unrest. Community members shared their views on the crisis, which the organisations described as having deepened insecurity and uncertainty in daily life.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the programme, AMUCO president Sorokhaibam Sanjoy said Manipur has historically been a peace-loving state but alleged that divisive policies pursued by the Government of India along ethnic lines have repeatedly destabilised the region. He said the present crisis is unprecedented in scale and has had a devastating impact on the state’s social fabric, governance and economy.

Sanjoy said almost every sector in Manipur has been affected, with businesses disrupted, livelihoods lost and living standards sharply declining. He pointed to a growing economic deficit and said it was the responsibility of the Government of India to take corrective measures to restore stability and normalcy. Reiterating AMUCO’s demand, he urged the Centre to announce a comprehensive special package focused on rehabilitation of displaced families, resettlement of affected communities and long-term economic revival of the state. He also called for steps to waive existing loans to ease the financial burden on citizens.

At the same time, Sanjoy said the people of Manipur are hardworking by nature and should not lose hope due to the present crisis. He encouraged citizens to focus on self-reliance and rebuilding their livelihoods despite the challenges.

Recalling the role of past generations in safeguarding Manipur, Sanjoy said the responsibility now lies with the present generation to protect the state from external forces that threaten its territorial integrity and social harmony. The participating organisations said similar outreach programmes would continue in other affected areas in the coming days.