What does 'indigenous' mean if we can't move freely? : IDPs
Source: The Sangai Express

Moirang, February 25 2025: Internally displaced people (IDPs) from Churachandpur currently taking refuge at Kwakta have accused the Government of India of treating them unfairly in the name of protection, likening their situation to being "like a fish in a pot" .

Today, the IDPs staged a sit-in protest at the Kwakta Sericulture Training Institute against the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur and the alleged crackdown on village volunteers.

The protesters argued that imposing President's Rule despite having an elected Government reveals the insincerity of all MLAs.

Expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Centre's handling of the crisis, the protesting IDPs questioned the meaning of Meetei being an indigenous community if they could not move freely within their own State.

Some other demands which were raised during the protest were to immediately halt arresting village volunteers, resolve the crisis, resettle the IDPs at their native places and to detect and deport illegal immigrants.

Speaking to the media on the sideline, Nayani, an IDP, said that the emergence of village volunteers was a direct fallout of the Government's failure to protect the lives and properties of its citizens.

She also said that it was the village volunteers who rescued them from life-threatening situations.

The figure of fatalities among the Meiteis may have been significantly higher had the villager volunteers not stepped in to fill the gap left by the Government, she added.

Mangaleima, another IDP from Churachandpur, urged the Government of India to revoke PR and expedite the process to resettle them.

Placards with inscriptions "Don't treat village volunteers like anti-Nationals", "We don't want PR", "We want to return home" and "Dont arrest village volunteers" were held by the protesters.

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