Surviving in relief centres for over 2 years Impact on children
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Over two years and fast gallopping towards the three year mark and the Government should have worked out ways to address the intense mental trauma of the internally displaced people languishing in different relief centres since the night of May 3, 2023. What steps towards this have been taken up has not been spelt out in black and white, but what is clear is that at least six internally displaced persons have died by suicide. From amongst the six deceased persons, two are minors, the latest being the death by suicide of a 13 year old boy in a relief centre at Jiribam just last month. According to Chairperson of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) Keisham Pradipkumar, at least two internally displaced persons, both minors, have died by suicide between July and September this year. The other four were adults. This is a disturbing figure and any Government worth its salt should have taken note of this and not shown utter insensitivity by brushing it aside with the line, ‘what can we do, if someone is intent on taking his or her own life ?’ As in any given instance of violence and bloodshed, it is women and children who are affected the most and the understanding of still being alive inside a relief centre for over two years can only be imagined. Living and breathing yes, but how about the mental trauma of those driven out from their homes ? It is to primarily address the woes of children that the Chairperson of the MCPCR reiterated the demand that Manipur should implement the Manipur State Policy on Child Rights which was first notified in 2020 for public input and revised in April 2025. It is already October 2025 and one wonders why Manipur is still sleeping over this matter when the issue is about protecting the rights of children. The assertion of the MCPCR Chairper- son that keeping the Manipur State Policy on Child Rights in abeyance would tantamount to jeopardising the future of the children stands eerily true. Time for Raj Bhavan to buckle up and see what steps may be adopted so that the Manipur State Policy for Children is rolled out, ASAP. On the same day that the Chairperson of the MCPCR spoke on the need to roll out the Manipur State Policy for Children in the backdrop of children in relief centres taking their own lives, hundreds of internally displaced persons came out of the relief centres and made a beeline for the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur to highlight their grievances. The focus of the Government should be clear. The plight of those driven out of their homes should not be left to chance, for here is a case of absolutely innocent people being driven out of their homes by murderous mobs, their homes ravaged and bulldozed to the ground and made to live in relief camps. Refugees in their own home place is the status that they have been reduced to.
Over 60,000 people are still surviving in relief centres. Displaced and not knowing whether they can return to the place they once called home. And this cuts both ways for people living on either side of the clash divide. What steps ought to be taken up for the internally displaced folks ? More importantly has the Government given any sense of urgency to the plights of the internally displaced persons ? Back in July this year, the State Government reportedly gave the assurance that the internally displaced persons would either be housed in temporary houses or taken back to their orginal homes in three phases-July, October and December. What are the steps that have been taken up in this regard ? Manipur deserves an answer to this poser or is it something that cannot be spelt out for public consumption ? If the account given by the IDPs at Bishnupur is anything to go by then at least 87 people driven out from Churachandpur have passed away in the last 2 years, in relief camps. Sounds something like people dying in exile, without being given the opportunity to return to the place they once called home before their last breath. The task should be clear. Before the Government starts talking about normalcy, do something concrete for the IDPs.
Over 60,000 people are still surviving in relief centres. Displaced and not knowing whether they can return to the place they once called home. And this cuts both ways for people living on either side of the clash divide. What steps ought to be taken up for the internally displaced folks ? More importantly has the Government given any sense of urgency to the plights of the internally displaced persons ? Back in July this year, the State Government reportedly gave the assurance that the internally displaced persons would either be housed in temporary houses or taken back to their orginal homes in three phases-July, October and December. What are the steps that have been taken up in this regard ? Manipur deserves an answer to this poser or is it something that cannot be spelt out for public consumption ? If the account given by the IDPs at Bishnupur is anything to go by then at least 87 people driven out from Churachandpur have passed away in the last 2 years, in relief camps. Sounds something like people dying in exile, without being given the opportunity to return to the place they once called home before their last breath. The task should be clear. Before the Government starts talking about normalcy, do something concrete for the IDPs.