IDPs threaten 'extreme' protest in Delhi
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 04 2024: Torbung Gram Panchayat Victims' Committee has issued a strong warning that families displaced by the ongoing crisis will resort to extreme steps, including self-immolation in the national capital, if Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not give assurance of facilitating their resettlement within one week.

Addressing the media at Manipur Press Club, here, on Friday, Committee co-convenor Moirangthem Roger said that the displaced families living in relief camps for the past 17 months have reached a breaking point owing to continuous exposure to severe mental and financial hardships since the crisis began.

Roger lamented that despite their prolonged suffering, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are yet to see any meaningful government action that could provide them with a semblance of relief or hope.

"For 17 months, we have been living in a state of despair in the relief camps, without an opportunity to smile," he said, highlighting the dire conditions being faced by the IDPs.

According to Roger, the government has so far provided a meagre Rs 4,000 in four instalments over the 17 months, an amount that he described as insufficient to meet the basic needs of families facing dire situation.

Asking purpose of providing Rs 4000 for 17 months, he expressed frustration over lack of adequate financial support.

The government had previously promised Rs 1 lakh to each displaced family which most of the affected are yet to receive, Roger claimed.

In addition to financial struggles, he pointed out lack of government support for children's education and healthcare for the displaced people.

He explained that the prolonged uncertainty has eroded the families' hopes for a better future, leaving them to question what the Prime Minister intends to do for their resettlement.

"We no longer have any trust in either the state or the Central government," he added, underscoring the displaced families' growing disillusionment.

The displaced families' primary demand is to return to their homes, even if it means enduring unforeseeable hardships, Roger said, while emphasising that the IDPs are willing to live with the bare minimum, as long as they are allowed to return to their homes.

"We would rather skip meals and live at home than continue living in such a wretched condition.

It is better to end our lives than to keep suffering like this," he said, while questioning how a country that claims to be a global superpower could not guarantee its own citizens to live safely in their homes.

Roger explained that the displaced families had placed their last hopes on Prime Minister Modi.

He issued an ultimatum, stating that if the Prime Minister does not provide assurance of their resettlement within one week, the IDPs will intensify protests.

The planned actions include traveling to Delhi for relay hunger strikes, followed by the ultimate step of self-immolation if their pleas go unheeded.

Roger also appealed to the people of the state, asking them to stop donating food to the relief camps and instead contribute towards purchasing flight tickets to Delhi for the protest.

He encouraged supporters to contact 9366926620 or 8132046352 for extending their assistance in making their journey to Delhi possible.

The displaced families have been suffering for 17 months, waiting for a resolution, Roger reiterated, while making it clear that their patience has run out, and they are prepared to take drastic action to draw attention to their plight if the Centre does not respond to their demands.

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