Guhawati, July 09 2009: "MY FATHER and mother would surely come back.

But I don't know when" - these are the words of an eight-year old Pouheudile who has been longing to reunite with his parents after being fled along with others from North Cachar Hills district of Assam following outbreak of ethnic violence.

A student of class IV in Karan English School of Mahur village in North Cachar Hills district, Pouheudile is putting up along with her three younger brothers at a makeshift relief camp set up in the old building of the Primary Health Centre at Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district in Manipur.

In the absence of her parents, the little girl has taken up onus of looking after her younger siblings at the relief camp.

Parents of Pouheudile left all four of them and returned to Mahur to look after their house and properties.

Pouheudile said both are parents usually go to the paddy field for work.

So after bringing them to the relief camp safely, they left for their village again fearing that their house and other family properties may be set aflame, if there is no one to look after them.

"They would surely come back.

But I don't know when they would arrived," the little girl said.

After putting on cloths over the unwashed bodies of her younger siblings and preparing bed for them to sleep at night, Pouheudile was seen running up and down to collect the ration items like rice and sugar provided by the district administration and other philanthropic organisations for the refugees.

In her absence, other womenfolk in the camp also help in taking care of her younger siblings.

Located at a distance of 257 kms from Imphal, Tousem sub-divisions of Tamenglong district is at the triangular juncture of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

Over 600 villagers belonging to Zeliangrong community have fled to Tousem and taken shelter in different parts of the sub-divisions to save their lives.

Most of the displaced villagers putting up in the makeshift relief camps set up for them are womenfolk and children as their menfolk left after ensuring their safety to look after their houses and properties.

When asked how they managed to reach Tousem, Pouheudile recalled that they travelled from their village Mahur till Henlung in vehicle and came down walking all the way from Henlung to Tousem.

They travelled in the village from 7 am to 12 noon and when they arrived at Tousem, it was 6 o'clock in the evening.

When asked whether she is happy to be at Tousem, the girl replied, "While at home, I used to go to school every day and study my lesson.

I can also play with my friends.

But here I don't attend classes nor study my books.

I can't also play around.

Though it may be different, if my mother is here".

There are many children like Pouhendile in the relief camp.

Just like Pouheudile, all of them have stopped going to school or study their lesson.

They are also wearing the same cloths with which they had fled.

Cases of skin infection could also be noticed among some of the children even as many of the displaced children are enduring health complaints like pain in the stomach, loose motion, swelling of the bellies, etc.

Uneasiness of staying in a new surrounding and inability to move around and play happily could also be noticed from their sullen look.

There is no police station at Tousem sub-divisions, which could ensure the security of the displaced villagers and there is no doctor either at the primary health centre of the sub-divisions.

Talking to this reporter, Poutinglian, an ASHA worker of the sub-divisions, disclosed that cases of infectious skin diseases, scabies and itchiness, diarrhea and dysentery have been detected among the children in the relief camp.

If not treated in time, even minor health problems could lead to serious health problem, she pointed out.

There are in all 132 displaced villagers in the relief camp being set up at Tousem.

Among them 96 of them are children.

Besides Tousem, the displaced villagers are also putting up in various relief camps set up at places like Mandeu, Phaklong, Pumdam, Najukok, Deigei villages, etc.

Edim, a teacher in a private school of North Cachar Hills district, who is among those fled to Tousem, lamented that rights to survival, rights to development, right to protection and right to participation of the children being envisaged under the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are being deprived every now and then following outbreak of communal violence among other problems.

Zeliangrong villagers have been forced to flee North Cachar Hills district of Assam following threats on their lives from an armed UG group of the Dimasa tribe which constitute 34 percent of the total population in the district.

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