Imphal: Tensions flared in Imphal East district on Monday as hundreds of internally displaced people (IDPs) attempted to march back to their villages, leading to clashes with security forces near Pukhao and Dolaithabi Dam, officials said.
Residents of Ekou, Dolaithabi and Yengkhuman — who have been living in relief camps since the 2023 ethnic violence — gathered in large numbers and tried to return to their homes, asserting that peace has been restored in the state with the ongoing Sangai Festival.
Security personnel, however, halted their movement, triggering a confrontation.
Officials said the situation escalated when the protesters continued advancing towards “sensitive zones”, prompting security forces to fire tear gas shells to disperse them.
Many of the displaced families, primarily farmers, said they were frustrated by their prolonged stay in camps and the loss of their livelihoods.
“We are mostly farmers. Our economic livelihood has been completely cut off after we were forced to flee,” protester S Kumarjit Meitei told reporters.
“The government claims normalcy has returned. Then why are we still confined to camps? Why can’t security forces deal with militants instead of stopping us from going home?”
The villages lie along the foothills of Imphal East, bordering the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district — an area that saw intense ethnic violence last year.
