Why Are We So Selfish to Prioritize Personal Demands Over IDPs and State Healing?

With Parliament extending President’s Rule until February 13, 2026, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has a critical six-month window to focus on the state’s most urgent and critical needs: the safe return of internally displaced peoples, delivering justice by arresting those responsible for civilian killings, the tracing of missing persons, and the curbing of unregistered civil society organizations that incite ethnic violence. 

By empowering Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Departmental Directors to work sincerely, free from political pressures, the Governor can address these priorities and restore joy to a weary people. Development can wait; healing Manipur must come first.

Today, we have muted the voices of the IDPs that endure unspeakable hardships, unable to articulate their desperate need for safety, shelter, and healing. Instead of championing their cause, we drown out their cries with our selfish demands, ignoring the true priority. Governor in council can streamline administrative processes to focus on immediate needs, such as rebuilding of homes or repairing schools. Development projects, like infrastructure upgrades, should also wait. The six-month extension of President’s Rule provides time to lay the groundwork for peace, a prerequisite for sustainable development. 

In our rush to demand promotions, regularizations, and salary hikes, we have overlooked the silent suffering of IDPs languishing in relief camps, their homes reduced to ashes, their loved ones lost or missing, and their spirits broken. Let us first ensure their safe return with dignity, giving them time to heal and rebuild their lives, which can only happen if we rally behind Governor, the state’s custodian under President’s Rule. Why must we be so selfish, prioritizing personal gains while ignoring those in camps who yearn for a chance to feel human again?

The imposition of President’s Rule in any state is a rare and grave measure, invoked not for political convenience but to restore law and order and heal a state wounded by constitutional missteps. In Manipur, where ethnic violence and political dysfunction have fractured society since May 3, 2023, President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, 2025, to achieve precisely this: to stabilize a state torn apart by conflict and pave the way for a functional federal structure. 

Governor A K Bhalla, acting on behalf of the President of India, is tasked with bringing normalcy and peace, not running a popular government. Yet, the people of Manipur, in their understandable desperation for solutions, have forgotten this distinction. We treat President’s Rule as a substitute for elected governance, flooding the Governor’s office with demands for employee regularization, promotions, and development projects, as if normalcy has already been achieved. This selfishness risks derailing the delicate process of State healing. 

Such demands, reflects a disconnect from the present crisis. Although, these requests, while valid, are secondary to the humanitarian and security imperatives. The Governor should issue a directive deferring such demands until stability is achieved, redirecting resources to rehabilitation of IDPs from relief camps to their own homes, security operations, free movements of people and reconciliation between the two communities  - Meetei and Kuki. 

President’s Rule in Manipur, which was triggered by the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the inability of political parties to form a government, has suspended the state’s political machinery. This vacuum, while challenging, offers a unique opportunity for the bureaucracy to operate without the political patronage that has long hindered effective governance. Previously, DCs, SPs, and Departmental Directors were often swayed by MLAs and party leaders, diverting resources to political agendas rather than public welfare. This contributed to the state’s failure to manage the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which has claimed over 300 lives and displaced more than 70,000 people.

Now, under President’s Rule, these officials can act with impartiality and sincerity. DCs, responsible for district administration, can coordinate relief and resettlement efforts. SPs, overseeing police operations, can drive investigations and maintain law and order. Departmental Directors, managing sectors like health, education, and public works, can ensure essential services reach those in need. By empowering these officers, Governor can transform state bureaucracy into a force for healing, bringing back moments of happiness—such as families reuniting or markets bustling again—that signal a return to normalcy.

Also Read: Why Kuki Leaders Oppose SIR in Manipur, Allegedly Shielding Illegal Immigrants

The Manipur violence has displaced innocent people, with many still languishing in relief camps under dire conditions. The phased return of IDPs, promised by former Chief Secretary P K Singh, is progressing at a snail’s pace, with only a fraction of families resettled by August 2025. This must be the Governor’s top priority, and DCs are pivotal to its success. Free from political pressures, DCs in districts like Churachandpur, Imphal East, and Kangpokpi can work with local communities to ensure safe returns. They can map secure routes, coordinate with security forces, and engage village leaders to prevent tensions.

In Moreh, where a Kuki CSO’s diktat barred Meitei returns, efforts must be focussed on this areas, ensuring access for all communities. The efforts, executed sincerely, can bring families back home, restoring a sense of belonging and ease their pains. The six-month extension of President’s Rule provides ample time to accelerate this process, but only if the bureaucracy remains focused on this humanitarian crisis rather than administrative demands.

Hundreds of people remain missing in Manipur, a silent tragedy compounding the pain of families. The Manipur Human Rights Commission estimates that many disappeared in conflict zones like Kangpokpi, either abducted, killed, or lost in displacement. These are much more important than the appointment of teachers or hiking of salary for the employees. 

The humanitarian crisis gripping Manipur demands immediate action from the Governor to address the plight of internally displaced persons, particularly in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, where suffering has reached unbearable levels. Thousands of innocent victims, uprooted by violence, languish in relief camps under inhumane conditions—over 100 families sharing a handful of makeshift toilets, surviving on meager meals, and battling untreated illnesses like measles and tuberculosis. 

Reports of suicides and widespread Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (75% of IDPs affected) expose a dire lack of medical and mental health support, which the Governor must urgently rectify by deploying specialist doctors and counselors to camps. Financial aid, though allocated (INR 21 crore by the Union Home Ministry in 2024-25 and Rs 1.3 lakh per family for reconstruction), is inconsistently distributed, often funneled through intermediaries, leaving many IDPs unable to rebuild. 

Perhaps, the most alarming is the reported loot of hundreds of crores in relief funds, with illegal construction of pre-fabricated houses and undelivered supplies plaguing camps. The Governor must launch an independent probe to hold culprits accountable and restore trust. There must be no policy or intent—state or central—that deepens divides. The Governor, as the state’s custodian now, has a moral and administrative duty to act swiftly, setting a clear timeline for IDPs’ return to their original homes, ensuring their dignity, and rebuilding a fractured Manipur with compassion and justice.

Priority must be stressed on the safe return of IDPs, languishing in inhumane conditions, over selfish demands for promotions, regularization, vacant posts, or salary hikes, which divert resources from the urgent needs of a fractured state. These efforts, driven by a bureaucracy free from political pressures, can restore hope and joy. A family reunited, a village celebrating a safe return, or a festival held without fear—these moments heal. 

The six-month extension of President’s Rule is a chance to heal Manipur, not cater to personal interests, and by focusing on these humanitarian priorities, the bureaucracy can rebuild trust and unity, reminding the people that President’s Rule is a path to peace, not a platform for personal gain.