Songpi: Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing on Saturday met the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Island Block, Saikul, who are currently taking shelter in Songpi, Churachandpur.
The IDPs, largely from the Vaiphei community, were forced to flee their homes in Island Block following the outbreak of conflict in Manipur three years ago and have been living in relief camps and rented shelters in Churachandpur since then.
According to the MLA, meeting the displaced families after a gap of three long years was a deeply emotional and nostalgic experience. “It was difficult to see people who once lived peacefully in their own homes now having to seek shelter away from their ancestral land,” she said.
During her visit, the Saikul legislator along with her workers also held a meeting with the Vaiphei Chiefs’ Association and shared meaningful discussions regarding the prevailing situation in the region, rehabilitation efforts, and the way forward for lasting peace.
“My interactions with the IDPs were particularly emotional. We shared their memories, their pain and most importantly, their longing to return home. Their desire to go back to their villages and rebuild their lives remains as strong as ever,” Kimneo Haokip Hangshing said.
The MLA, who represents one of the worst conflict-affected constituencies, said the families from Island Block continue to hope for peace and a dignified return to their ancestral villages.
She prayed that peace and justice returns to the land soon so that every displaced family can return home with dignity, security and hope.
The visit comes at a time when thousands of families from both communities remain displaced across Manipur, awaiting rehabilitation and a political solution to the ongoing crisis.
It may be mentioned that the ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities that erupted on May 3, 2023, has left over 250 people dead and displaced more than 60,000 people from both communities. While Kuki families from Imphal valley were forced to flee to the hills, Meitei families from Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh were displaced to the valley, with thousands still living in relief camps across the state awaiting a political solution and rehabilitation.
