Notable steps from MHRC, MCPCR, MSCW On behalf of survivors
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In the dust kicked up by the war of words between the BJP and the Congress, the cacophony of protests staged at some places against the ‘unbearable’ monetary demands and the ongoing conflict along the Indo-Myanmar border at Kamjong side which has already claimed a number of lives, the only words which make sense seem to have come from the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) and the Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW). The plight of the internally displaced people or survivors at the different relief centres set up across the length and breadth of Manipur continues to haunt the collective psyche of the people and to think that people who have been displaced are today taking refuge in shelter homes in their own home State and nothing can be more tragic than this. And they have been staying as inmates for nearly two years now. It is to give a slightly more correct term that some conscientious people of Manipur had recommended the use of the term ‘survivors’ to refer to the people living in the shelter homes and here is an example of how the plight of the people living in the different shelter homes has impacted on the conscience of many people. A sure sign that humanity is still not lost despite the ongoing violence, the senseless killings and the very act of driving people out from their homes and rendering them refugees in the very place they once called home. The Government too must be concerned and this is where one is tempted to ask what steps have been taken up to better the lot of the thousands of people living in the relief centres. Or are there steps that can be taken up ? It is along this line that the MHRC, MCPCR and MSCW took it upon themselves to prepare a slew of measures for the internally displaced people. Students and the young children are obviously high on the agenda of the three Commissions as seen in their recommendations which include establishment of at least two schools each in the districts where the internally displaced people are housed. Other than this the three Commissions also recommended transport facilities for displaced students, that is during the interregnum before the said schools are established. As reported widely in all the Imphal based newspapers, the three Commissions have put their best foot forward to take up issues which are of immediate concerns to the people languishing in the different relief camps for nearly two years now and it is encouraging to see a number of conscientious people from different professions and walks to life contribute with whatever they can to better the lives of the survivors.
The Government is obviously lost on what steps to take up to put Manipur on the track of normalcy and in such a situation it would not be feasible to even entertain the thought that the people who have been displaced from Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh would be in a position to return to the place they once called home anytime in the foreseeable future. Likewise no Kuki-Zo would feel secure to return to the place they once called home at Imphal or at any other place in the valley districts. All the more reason why sincere efforts need to be put in to better the lives of those currently living in the different relief centres. And MHRC, MCPCR and MSCW seem intent on taking up some positive steps that could help the survivors cope with the situation better. The plight of the people living in the different relief centres should also be understood in the backdrop of the fact that at least one inmate has taken his life while there are others who have attempted to take the extreme step. This is where the suggestion of the three Commissions that the physical health and well being of the people in the relief centres should be given a priority, gains credence. Normalcy should not be understood only in the context of the guns going silent or a lull in violence, but also in the context of when the displaced folks would feel safe to return to the place they once called home.
The Government is obviously lost on what steps to take up to put Manipur on the track of normalcy and in such a situation it would not be feasible to even entertain the thought that the people who have been displaced from Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh would be in a position to return to the place they once called home anytime in the foreseeable future. Likewise no Kuki-Zo would feel secure to return to the place they once called home at Imphal or at any other place in the valley districts. All the more reason why sincere efforts need to be put in to better the lives of those currently living in the different relief centres. And MHRC, MCPCR and MSCW seem intent on taking up some positive steps that could help the survivors cope with the situation better. The plight of the people living in the different relief centres should also be understood in the backdrop of the fact that at least one inmate has taken his life while there are others who have attempted to take the extreme step. This is where the suggestion of the three Commissions that the physical health and well being of the people in the relief centres should be given a priority, gains credence. Normalcy should not be understood only in the context of the guns going silent or a lull in violence, but also in the context of when the displaced folks would feel safe to return to the place they once called home.