Children exposed to Kuki aggression suffer from PTSD
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 16 2023: Even as the violence in Manipur continues with sporadic incidents of killings, disappearances and gun attacks, many children who were exposed to the violent aggression of Kukis in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi etc have developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), not knowing when they can return to their places again.

One of these children is Lata (not real name), a Class IX student and a girl of 13 years who has been living at Kangpokpi since she stepped into the world.

She, however, got displaced from her home along with several other Meeteis after they were chased, beaten and treated like livestock by a group of Kukis who ransacked and burnt Meetei villages at Kangpokpi on the night of May 3 .

Children exposed to Kuki aggression suffer from PTSD

As per her mother Ibemcha (not real name), Lata often wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and crying and covers her ears whenever there is a loud noise, signalling that she still can't get over the visuals of Kukis attacking Meeteis with swords, guns and other weapons at Kang-pokpi which she saw on May 3 .

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Ibemcha said that Kukis who wielded lethal weapons started attacking Meeteis at her village in Kangpokpi on May 3 (around 8.30 pm) .

Saying that they fled for their lives amid the chaos and brutality of Kukis and took shelter at Sapermeina police station, Ibemcha maintained that Kukis chas-ed them up to the police station.

Ibemcha continued that they hid in the interior portion of the police station.

Further stating that they heard about Kukis burning their houses at around 12 am while they were at the police station, Ibemcha recall- ed that she took her two children by hand and ventured out from the police station with the hope of reaching somewhere safe in the wee hours.

"Both my daughters and I were shaking while running for our lives to the extent that one of my daughters started complaining of shortness of breath", she recalled.

Stating that she didn't know which direction she was heading along with her two children, Ibemcha added that the only thing which she knew was she was running on the bank of a river with both her children crying their hearts out.

The experience was nightmarish, she sighed.

Continuing that she heard voices of some fellow Meeteis looking for others when her energy almost ran out, Ibemcha maintained that police rescued them from a particular place where she was hiding with other displaced Meeteis.

"We have been taking refuge at the Heingang Community Hall since then", she added.

Ibemcha maintained that her eldest daughter can control her emotions but the youngest one is emotionally disturbed as she had experienced what no human, especially children, had to encounter at her tender age.

Lata often widens her eyes and cries whenever she hears a story of human tragedy and also wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and crying, she added.

Saying that she consulted experts about the mental health of her daughter during different health camps held at the community hall, Ibemcha maintained that she, however, is worried about her daughter's future because what she had seen on May 3 was a horror.

Ibemcha said that most of the children who had witnessed the savagery of the aggressors won't get over the trauma easily, while expressing desire for the Government to hold regular counselling and mental health check-ups for the children, especially those at relief camps.

Meanwhile, an official of the Social Welfare Department said that they have been holding counselling programmes for the children at different districts since the initial stage of the violence.

The official claimed that some of the children have overcome their trauma.

Saying that 6304 children below six years and another 13,168 children in the 6 to 18 age bracket have taken refuge at different relief camps of the State so far, he added that the District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committees and staff of children homes have been carrying out welfare programmes for the displaced children by engaging them in outdoor activities and celebrating their birthdays.

The official said that some of the displaced children have returned to their native places.