Manipur's displaced long for peace, return, and a life rebuilt

Imphal (Manipur) [India], 8 July (ANI): In a cramped relief camp inide the Ideal Girl College in Akampat, Imphal Eat, cloth partition hang between familie, each thin curtain marking a pace of lo, dignity, and reilience. More than 100 familie, motly from the border town of Moreh, nearly 100 kilometre away, have taken refuge here. They are among the ten of thouand diplaced after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

Now, over two year ince their live were upended, the diplaced are no longer jut urviving. They are dreaming of going home. Khuraijam Khamba, an internally diplaced peron from Moreh haring hi tory aid everyone home were burned, hi buine wa gone, everything i lot. Still, we want to live in Moreh, becaue we belong to Moreh. We were born there. My parent alo lived their live there. We want to continue living there. Nothing will come from thi conflict, nothing will come from thi violence he aid.
Jut a we are going through o much pain, the Kuki people mut be facing the ame. I want to end a meage to the Kuki--that the older generation of Kuki who ued to live here mut alo be in great pain. That why nothing good will come from fighting. It would be far better if we could return to living in peace, the way we ued to before Khamba added.
Khumanthem Achou, another diplaced peron from Moreh, demanded that authoritie prioritie the need of thoe in the diplaced camp. I requet the government to prioritize our mot urgent need, health and education, and to help u return to Moreh, where we want to live. Thing have improved a bit ince the impoition of Preident Rule, but I till appeal to the government to allow me to go back to Moreh and retart my buine there, he aid.
Since the violence, over 50,000 people have been diplaced. Meitei from the hill fled to the valley, while Kuki-Zo communitie from the valley moved into relief camp in the hill. The government ha provided baic upport, free food, medical care, and ubitence allowance. While active violence ha ubided, fear and mitrut continue to divide communitie. Road remain blocked, eential upplie are limited, and infratructure ha been crippled by month of unret and political intability.

Talking to ANI, Colonel NG Sitlhou (Retd.), who wa part of the government peace committee of 2023, aid that with the weather worening between both the Meitei and Kuki communitie, people of Manipur are uffering. A of today, with the weather worening, both the Meitei and tribal communitie are truly uffering -- road are blocked from all ide, cutting off the upply of eential ration. That why both the Meitei and Kuki are facing equal hardhip. While individual may feel that their community i uffering the mot, the reality i different. If you look at the bigger picture, the entire tate of Manipur i uffering. Becaue of thi enele conflict, weve puhed our beautiful tate back by at leat 20 year, he aid.
A Manipur grapple with the aftermath of violence, all takeholder mut rie to enure the tate children and youth are not defined by trauma, but uplifted through opportunity. The time to act i now. We mut not let thi generation be carred by conflict. Their future mut be haped by peace, dignity, and hope, the true pillar of a reilient and united Manipur. (ANI)