Jiribam IDPs yearning for return of peace
Source: Chronicle News Service / Lukhoi Atom

Jiribam, July 11 2025: With broken dreams and tearful eyes, internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in relief camps in Jiribam district still hold on to one hope, that someday they will return to their homes and live in peace again.

For now, however, that hope seems a distant dream.

A man currently taking shelter at the relief camp set up in Jiribam Higher Secondary School shared his anguish saying: "I cannot sleep at night.

I feel I will never be able to live the life I dreamed of.

As long as I live here, my hopes cannot come true".

Displaced by the ethnic violence, many Meetei families from Borobekra sub-division have been forced out of their homes and are now living in four relief camps across the district.

The trauma of leaving behind everything they had and the uncertainty of when or if they will ever return is a pain that haunts them daily.

"We are just living for the sake of survival," the man said.

"Our lives may fade away midway.

We urge the government to provide sufficient state security forces, including cadres of the Pambei-led UNLF, who have joined the peace process, in areas where Meeteis reside in Jiribam.

Only then can we hope to live in peace," he added.

He also expressed deep disappointment in the role of central forces, alleging "They watch silently even when Meeteis are attacked right before them.

As long as they are not harmed, they remain passive" .

The state government continues to supply essential items to the relief camps.

The camp at Jiribam Higher Secondary School houses 92 people, including women and children, from a total of 25 households.

Among them are 38 students who have resumed schooling in both government and private institutions.

Private schools, moved by the plight of the displaced, have generously offered a 50 percent fee concession.

But for many IDP families, even that amount remains unaffordable.

"I want to work and support my family," the man said.

"But there is no place to work here.

If I leave the camp to work elsewhere, I might not be counted as an IDP anymore.

The government must urgently look into this".

Medical care, too, is a pressing concern.

While minor illnesses are being treated locally under the Chief Ministergi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT) scheme, the district hospital lacks facilities to handle serious health conditions.

For anything beyond basic care, patients need to travel outside Jiribam, usually to Imphal or Silchar.

"But Imphal is practically unreachable," he said.

"One needs to fly, and no IDP can afford that".

He shared the case of a fellow IDP who recently underwent surgery for kidney stones in a private hospital in Silchar, paying out of pocket since CMHT is not applicable there.

Another female patient managed to get treatment in Silchar only after other camp residents pooled in money to help her.

Recounting the day that changed his life, the man said he has been in the relief camp since June 7, 2024, the day after Soibam Sarat of Jiribam was killed by suspected Kuki militants.

"That day, houses belonging to Meeteis in Borobekra were set on fire by members of the Kuki-Hmar community.

I can still see it vividly in my mind.

We fled with nothing but fear" .

As weeks stretch into months and months into years, the displaced people of Jiribam wait, not just for aid or assistance, but for dignity, peace and the chance to live a normal life once more.

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