Imphal, Feb 19 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said on Thursday that sustainable and lasting peace in the state can be achieved only through mutual understanding, dialogue, and cooperation among all communities.
Interacting with the ethnic violence affecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Chief Minister added that Manipur is home to 36 communities and stressed that people in hills and valleys must live unitedly.
He said that the Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs will visit all 36 relief camps being resided by the IDPs as part of the government initiative to resolve their problems.
Urging IDPs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to bridge trust gaps and strengthen peace, Chief Minister Singh added that although some IDPs have returned to their native villages, challenges remain as fear continues among sections of people in the state.
He appealed to the CSOs of various communities from both hills and valleys to work together for restoration of normalcy and urged all communities to live with unity and mutual respect.
The Chief Minister also distributed benefits to IDPs through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) at the Alternate Housing Complex, National Games Village (NGV) Relief Camp in Imphal West, adding that nearly Rs 33 crore was released on Thursday.
Interacting with the IDPs, Chief Minister Singh said that the first step after the formation of the new government in Manipur following the withdrawal of President’s Rule is to help IDPs return to their respective homes with peace and goodwill.
He thanked the Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, for his guidance in enabling some IDPs to return home.
For the first time since May 2023 when Manipur was engulfed by ethnic violence, the Chief Minister interacted with IDPs of Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities together, both in person and through video conference, as part of the Thursday’s event.
The state government, on Thursday, organised a joint interaction programme of IDPs of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Imphal West.
While Chief Minister Singh interacted with Kuki-Zo IDPs of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi through video conference, he was physically present at an IDP centre at Langol Alternate Housing complex in Imphal West district.
The IDPs of both the communities opened their hearts out, narrating the Chief Minister about their plight and hardship they faced in the last three years.
While a young Kuki girl from Kangpokpi district told Chief Minister Singh to consider her as his own daughter and said she was facing difficulties in pursuing her post-graduation, a Meitei woman pleaded with the Chief Minister to allow her to return to their home in Moreh border town.
Another Kuki-Zo woman from a relief camp in Churachandpur told Chief Minister Singh about the difficulties they face in getting medical treatment.
It was tears, choked voices and teary eyes when IDPs of both communities interacted with the new Chief Minister as they see a ray of hope that they may soon return to their homes and lead a normal life.
It was tears of love and revival of ‘insaniyat’ (humanity) in the Chief Minister’s outreach programme.
When a Meitei resident of Moreh border town told Chief Minister Singh that she was in a relief camp for nearly three years and expressed her desire to see her native home once, the Chief Minister said that though he could not give an exact date, his government is trying hard to bridge the relationship between the two warring sides so that fear of venturing into each other’s area is fully removed.
“I will not let your tears go in vain,” Chief Minister Singh said, adding that the current BJP-led state government’s priority is to remove the trust deficit between the two communities.
To an inmate of a relief camp in Churachandpur, the Chief Minister said that he understands the hardship faced by the people of the district in getting medical treatment as majority of doctors in the state are from Meitei community and advanced medical facilities are located in Imphal.
“When ailing BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte (a Kuki community leader) was admitted to Churachandpur district hospital recently in a serious condition, I sent two Meitei Pangal doctors as they did not face problems in visiting Kuki-Zo areas. I will never forget the services rendered by those two Meitei Pangal doctors, including a woman doctor, for their services,” he added.
Chief Minister Singh said that there were about 8,000 Kuki-Zo students, whose studies have been affected by the ethnic conflict in Manipur.
He added that about 2,000 of such Kuki-Zo students could pursue their studies in other states, however there are problems with the remaining 6,000 students.
“We need a special plan for such students,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that any Kuki-Zo tribal, who want to visit Imphal for medical treatment, will be provided fool-proof security.
“There will be absolutely no problem for you all to get medical treatment in the hospitals of Imphal,” he said and told the Kuki-Zo inmates of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi that few new ambulances have also arrived, and the state government will make necessary arrangements for them.
Chief Minister Singh said that the special support of Rs 2,420 per person is being provided so that IDPs can replace worn-out mattresses and essential personal items.
He highlighted financial assistance measures, including Rs 1 lakh per family whose houses were fully burnt; Rs 25,000 already released to each of the 9,314 households as first installment; Rs 25,000 first instalment is to be released to another 434 households; and Rs 20,000 additional assistance for all 9,748 eligible households.
He added that those who have not yet received benefits will also be supported by the state government.
During interaction with IDPs at the venue and via video conference, the Chief Minister listened patiently to grievances related to resettlement, pensions, education, and healthcare.
IDPs from Nghamun Relief Camp (Kangpokpi district) represented by Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, who belongs to the Kuki community.
The programme was attended by Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh, several MLAs, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Commissioner to Chief Minister N. Ashok Kumar, senior officials, public representatives, and IDPs, among others.
–IANS
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