When will we go back to our homes, ask displaced persons

Oinam Nabakishore Singh *

Tensions were running high in Churachandpur district headquarters when an open gym slated to be opened by Shri N Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur was vandalized along with chairs and other structures for the function at the venue of the function on the 27th April, 2023 by the members of Kuki-Zo community there.

The latter also issued a call of boycott of the State Government of Manipur, implying the boycott of the Chief Minister, who was due to visit Churachandpur on the 28th April, 2023. However, efforts were made by the State Government to thwart the boycott by inviting Government officials in Churachandpur to occupy the chairs at the function.

Instead of appreciating the boycott targeted at him and tone down the boycott, Chief Minister, Manipur rather attributed the vandalism of the open gym and venue of the function as an act directed against Shri LM Khaute, MLA of Churachandpur, who was said to be celebrating the first anniversary of his election as MLA. He tried his best to send out a message that the boycott and vandalism were not against him. However, such diversionary narratives had very few takers.

Exchange of abusive language between the Kuki Zo community and supporters of Shri N Biren Singh ensued on the social media. It helped in buildup of animosity and hatred between Meiteis and Kuki Zo community.

After the Tribal Solidarity March organized by All Tribal Students Union (ATSUM) wound up around 3 pm at Churachandpur, armed Kuki Zo community members rushed towards the border of Bishenpur and Churachandpur, where there are settlements of Meitei community. Without any provocation from the innocent villagers, and without any warning whatsoever, they started burning the houses and shops on the Tiddim road.

Helpless members of Meitei community had no other option except to run for live to save themselves from the armed Kuki Zo members. The residents of Torbung and nearby villages ran towards Bishenpur district through jungles and riverine beds with only the clothes they wore on their bodies.

Many women, old and young, children and others were filled with fear of being killed. On reaching Moirang and nearby villages, they were received by village volunteers who sheltered them in community halls, schools, etc.

Physical living space of different relief camps, both in hills and valleys, lack basic amenities. Toilets and bathrooms are inadequate in terms of number and capacity. Hundreds of persons in the relief camp are made to use a few toilets to ease themselves in the morning. It must be, indeed, inhuman to make people in the camps to suffer with such inadequate facilities.

In fact, the authorities are expected to work out a reasonable ratio between the users and toilets required. If found inadequate, more toilets should be constructed by the Government. Such action is hard to come across. Right from day one of violence, when displaced people ran for their lives from their homes and reached places of own community members, the reception and succor were provided by the local volunteers and messiahs.

The latter arranged everything-food, water, cloth, medical care where required, place to live and sleep, etc. for the traumatized displaced persons before the authorities of the Government appeared on the scene.

It is the volunteers of the locality who shouldered the responsibility of taking care of almost all needs of the displaced persons, while the State Government looks after a fraction of the requirements of such displaced people. It may be noted that the persons who ran from homes to save themselves left everything they earned in their lifetime have left behind rendering them penniless in every sense.

In his speech during the presentation of Budget for financial year 2024-25 for the State, the Chief Minister listed the financial assistance provided and proposed to be provided to the displaced persons.

A sum of Rs 101.75 crore released by the Central Government as a relief package for the people in relief camps was stated to be used for running relief camps including recurring expenditure on consumable items like rice, dal, cooking oil, vegetables, water, milk, soap and one-time expenses towards setting up relief camps.

It is also mentioned that a sum of Rs 1000 each was given to inmates four times in the last fifteen months by the Government. Such amount is too little and inadequate to meet expenses of the displaced people. Most of the expenses by the Government for relief and rehabilitation of displaced persons are towards the creation of temporary structures for them. There is a strong reluctance among the inmates to shift to such temporary houses.

Their only desire is to return to the homes from which they have been displaced. While there are some reports of return of Meitei displaced persons in the border between Bishenpur and Churachandpur, most are still confined in the relief camps.

It has been heard from displaced persons that they would like to lead a life of dignity. Being fed everyday by the Government or others in relief camps for such a long period of time, free of cost, hurt the sense of self-respect and dignity of inmates.

They too want to lead a normal life where they earn their own livelihood, send their children to schools and colleges, and live in harmony and safely in their erstwhile homes even if they have to rebuild them.

Because of protracted stay at the relief camps, many of the inmates have expressed that they have started to lose hope for the future. There are signs of depressions creeping in among them. One inmate living at the temporary home at Kwakta, being unable to bear the stress resulting from helplessness and possible depression, took the extreme step of suicide a month back.

While lack of physical amenities at the relief camps may be tolerable, mental stress arising out of uncertainties and loss of hope becomes hard to bear for many inmates. The issue of privacy of more than 60,000 internally displaced persons on account of the conflict, which started on the 3rd May, 2023 in Manipur, has not been addressed by anyone at all.

In fact, the Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgment in Justice Puttaswamy versus Union of India held that the right to privacy to be a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Privacy is a broad term.

Cambridge online dictionary defines privacy as “the state of being alone, or the right to keep one’s personal matters and relationships secret”. In a relief camp of internally displaced persons, several persons are kept in separate rooms.

In many instance, there is congestion in the room as the available space is limited. The freedom to enjoy space and privacy to the inmate himself and herself is restricted due to the presence of many other inmates in the confined space. She/he cannot exercise any rights guaranteed by the Constitution due to such confinement.

The right to life is guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. This right includes right to privacy and dignity as interpreted by Supreme Court in several landmark judgments. Providing food to the displaced persons in both hills and valleys is the most basic duty of the State under the Constitution as life depends on food and water.

The State is not doing any favour to the displaced people by supplying food to them. Another drawback noticed in the supply of food to the inmates is the lack of variety in terms of fruits and vegetables, proteins and fats to meet the need for a balance diet. They may develop diseases by just continuously eating rice (carbohydrate) and dal for days. The Government should be a little more sensitive to the composition of the diets provided.

Living condition of the relief camps, especially at Ideal College, Akampampat, Imphal East, is really pathetic. It is frequently flooded and inmates are forced to live in the mud and water. Similar may be the condition at many other camps.

One question which the displaced persons are constantly asking is, “How long we will live at the relief camps? When can we go back to our homes and live there as they did before the 3rd May, 2023?”