Frustrated and forgotten: Manipur IDPs stage protest demanding resettlement

As the Manipur crisis nears its two-year mark, frustration among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is mounting. 

On the eve of the grim anniversary, IDPs housed at Mekola staged a sit-in protest demanding immediate resettlement in their original homes.

Notably, IDPs from Rice Research Station Khangabok, Lamding Higher Secondary School, and Wangjing Kodompokpi joined the protest and highlighted the growing desperation and emotional toll on displaced families.

"We heaved a sigh of relief when President’s Rule was imposed, hoping it would bring us home," said one protester. "But nothing has changed. What is the point of President’s Rule if it can’t ensure a basic right like returning home?"

The protesters, mostly women, voiced their disillusionment with what they described as continued government apathy. Many said they felt abandoned by the authorities and questioned whether their lives held any value in the eyes of the state.

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“Our lives are no less important than the families of those in power,” said another protester. “We used to live peacefully in our own homes. Now, we are stuck in cramped relief camps, dependent on government rations.”

Of particular concern was the plight of disabled persons and the elderly living in the camps, who face added challenges in these substandard conditions. The protesters urged the government to prioritise their rehabilitation.

Despite repeated appeals, including earlier protest rallies, the displaced population says their demands have largely gone unheard. They are now appealing directly to the Governor, urging immediate action to end what they call "two years of silent suffering."

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Manipur has displaced thousands. While violence may have subsided, the lives of IDPs remain suspended in uncertainty—far from the homes they were forced to flee.