Manipur: Clashes Erupt in Imphal East as IDPs Attempt to Return Home After Nearly Two Years

Imphal: Tension gripped Imphal East district in Manipur when hundreds of internally displaced Meiteis from relief camps tried to return to their abandoned villages, leading to clashes with security forces at Pukhao and near Dolaithabi Dam.

Four displaced persons suffered minor injuries during the confrontation.

The protesters, mostly residents of relief camps at Ekou, Dolaithabi, Yengkhuman, Sajiwa, and Swombung, set out early in the morning towards their foothill villages that border the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. These areas have remained largely deserted since the ethnic violence erupted in May 2023.

Security personnel deployed heavy barricades and stopped the march at multiple points, declaring the villages “Red Zones” that are still too volatile for civilian return. Despite repeated appeals, the displaced people insisted on proceeding, citing the ongoing Sangai Ethnic Festival as proof that the government considers normalcy restored.

“We are farmers who have lost everything. If normalcy has truly returned, why are we still confined to relief camps? Why not let us rebuild our lives instead of protecting militants?” asked protester S. Kumarjit Meitei.

The situation turned chaotic when the crowd attempted to breach barbed-wire barricades near Dolaithabi. A brief scuffle ensued as protesters pushed forward; some fell and sustained minor injuries. The displaced persons also accused a BSF vehicle of nearly running over a participant.

Security forces fired tear gas shells and several blank rounds to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.

For many, Monday marked the first time in nearly two years they had stepped foot in their villages. Emotional scenes unfolded as returnees found homes in ruins, tin roofs collapsed, and household items scattered or looted.

“Cooking pots and basins are still lying where we left them. Fruit trees have been stripped bare — probably by the forces posted nearby,” said one IDP, identified only as Noni.

Another returnee, Mayengbam Jack, fought back tears while surveying the wreckage of his house: “The tin sheets are scattered everywhere. The entire structure has collapsed. Only the gate and the old granary remain. I don’t think I can bear to come back again.”

Authorities later managed to persuade most groups to return to their relief camps, but the incident has once again highlighted the continuing trauma and frustration of thousands still unable to resume normal life almost 19 months after the conflict began.

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