'No home to celebrate’: Manipur IDPs hoist black flags at relief camps amid I-Day celebrations

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in relief camps across Manipur hoisted black flags on August 15 as a mark of protest against Independence Day celebrations amid the prolonged displacement crisis in the state.

The protest was reported from several relief camps, including those at Sajiwa, Sawombung and Akampat, where displaced people staged demonstrations and raised black flags to highlight their continued displacement and the absence of a permanent solution to the crisis.

The protesters said thousands of people have been living in relief camps for more than three years after being forced to leave their homes, with many continuing to face uncertainty over their return, rehabilitation and livelihood.

They said the prolonged displacement had deprived them of dignity, security, stable livelihoods and normal family life, and questioned the relevance of celebrating Independence Day while a large number of people remain displaced.

The black flags, they said, symbolised their anguish over the loss of homes and livelihoods and the continued uncertainty surrounding their future.

“We have no meaning for ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ as we have no ‘ghar’ now to celebrate,” the protesters said, referring to the loss of their homes and normal lives amid the prolonged crisis.

The IDPs said the protest was intended to draw the attention of the government and the wider public to their situation and press for a safe and dignified return, rehabilitation and restoration of normalcy in Manipur.

The protests come as displaced people continue to remain in relief camps more than three years after ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May 2023.