Displaced families fear the looming resettlement deadline

Thousands of people displaced by ethnic clashes in India’s north-eastern state of Manipur two years ago now face an uncertain future, as the government plans to shut down all temporary relief camps by December.

The violence, which erupted in May 2023 between the majority Meitei and the indigenous Kuki communities, was the worst the region had witnessed in decades.

It started after protests by the largely Christian Kuki community against the Meiteis, mostly Hindus, who were demanding official tribal status that would grant them access to the same government benefits and job quotas as other tribes, including Kukis.

At least 260 people were killed in the clashes and around 60,000 displaced people have since been living in temporary shelters.

Over the past two years, the government has made repeated promises to rehabilitate the displaced, but little has changed on the ground. Many say their lives remain in a limbo – effectively homeless and without a steady source of income.

Anxieties grew further in July when the state’s then Chief Secretary Prashant Singh announced that all relief camps would be shut down by December and its residents would be resettled.

He added that those unable to return to their homes would be relocated to pre-fabricated housing units.

The government, however, did not clarify where these units would be – whether near the relief camps or near displaced people’s original homes – worsening their concerns about future.

Uncertainty grew in September when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first visit to Manipur since the violence began, announced that 7,000 new homes would be built to resettle the displaced in “appropriate locations” without giving any other details.

On the ground, Manipur remains sharply divided: the Meiteis inhabit the Imphal Valley, while the Kukis live in the surrounding hill districts; and security forces continue to patrol the buffer zones that separate the two communities.

A security official deployed in the area told BBC Hindi that his mandate was to “ensure that Meiteis and Kukis remain in their respective areas and do not mix”.

Experts say resettling people in their original neighbourhoods is crucial to prevent the violence from redrawing Manipur’s social map.

“This is not good for a secular, democratic India. Resettling them in their original homes is most critical,” said RK Nimai Singh, former secretary to the Manipur governor.

He added that many displaced people feared that if they left the relief camps and moved into temporary housing, they might never be able to return to their homes.

It’s a thought that haunts Hatnu Haokip. For her, home means only one place – Imphal valley – and she yearns to go back.

“But that can’t happen because our village is now surrounded by Meitei people,” said the 22-year-old who is now living in a relief camp in the hilly Churachandpur region

Ms Haokip added that she would feel safer if Kuki leaders were given autonomy to set up a separate federally-administered territory for the community.

This sentiment was echoed by several other Kukis, who also feel apprehensive of returning to their homes.

On the other hand, most Meiteis BBC Hindi spoke to said they wanted to go back home.

Irom Abung, who once ran a water supply business in Churachandpur, now lives in a relief camp near a buffer zone.

His house was damaged during the violence, but Mr Abung says he will never give up on the place he once called home.

“My land remains. I will never sell it because I know I will return one day,” he said. “Efforts must be made to bridge the gap between our two communities so people can go back to their lives.”

The unease, coupled with uncertainty over where the new homes will be built, has raised doubts over whether the government would be able to close all relief camps by December.

Government officials, however, insist that the resettlement plan is on track.

“From about 290 camps initially, we’ve brought the number down to around 260,” a senior Manipur government official said.

“Eventually, we want to resettle people in the areas from where they fled, once they feel safe to return.”

The official added that while they understood people’s concerns, it was also in the state’s interest for them to return home – otherwise, the divisions would only grow deeper.

As tens of thousands of people continue to live in relief camps, many complain about not getting the facilities the government promised them.

Nemhoichong Lhungdim, a single mother, said her 11-year-old son had suffered a debilitating eye injury a few months back and has lost sight in one eye.

After government doctors failed to help, she borrowed money to take him to a private hospital, but was unable to afford the treatment.

“I was told it would cost about 300,000 rupees ($3,400; £2,600). I don’t have that kind of money,” she said.

Ms Lhungdim says the government sometimes organises health camps, but they have never treated her son. BBC Hindi has reached out to officials for a response.

Inside the camps, residents say prolonged displacement and uncertainty are also taking a toll on people’s mental health.

Salam Monika, 25, says her uncle took his own life last year after being driven to despair by a lack of livelihood opportunities. She says the family could not access medical help.

“Some mental health workers visited our camp a few times since 2023, but this year, they haven’t come at all,” she said.

BBC Hindi has reached out to the government for comment.

Meanwhile, those moved from camps into temporary housing say that while they now have a roof over their heads, they still struggle to make ends meet as livelihood remains a concern.

Chingakham Radha, one of the newly resettled residents, said she learned to make crochet dolls while living in the camp and now earns a small income from selling them. “The money is very little, just enough to get by,” she said.

Before the conflict, Ms Radha was a homemaker and her husband worked as a labourer. They were not wealthy, but had a happy life.

Thinking about those days, Ms Radha says life has become uncertain now.

“Some days my husband finds work, but other times weeks go by without any work,” she said. “I want to return home to Churachandpur, but those hopes are fading with time.”

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