Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in relief camps across Manipur hoisted black flags on Independence Day on Friday, protesting against their prolonged displacement and the lack of a permanent solution to the crisis.
The protest was reported from several relief camps, including those at Sajiwa, Sawombung and Akampat, where displaced people staged demonstrations and raised black flags to draw attention to their continued hardships and uncertainty over their future.
The protesters said thousands of people have been living in relief camps for more than three years after being forced to flee their homes following the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur in May 2023. Despite the passage of more than three years, many displaced families are still uncertain about when they will be able to return home, and when rehabilitation and livelihood support will be provided.
According to the protesters, prolonged displacement has deprived them of security, dignity, stable livelihoods and normal family life. They questioned the relevance of Independence Day celebrations when a large number of citizens in the state continue to remain homeless and displaced.
The black flags, they said, symbolised their anguish over the loss of their homes and livelihoods and the continuing uncertainty surrounding their future.
“We have no meaning for ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ as we have no ‘ghar’ now to celebrate,” the protesters said, highlighting the loss of their homes and normal lives amid the prolonged crisis.
The IDPs said their protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the government and the wider public to their situation. They demanded a safe and dignified return to their homes, proper rehabilitation, restoration of livelihoods and the return of normalcy in Manipur.
The protests came as thousands of people displaced by the ethnic violence continue to live in relief camps more than three years after the crisis began, underscoring the continuing humanitarian challenges facing the state.
