IMPHAL: A silent protest marked Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s visit to Kakching district of Manipur as he laid the foundation stones for various projects on Sunday.
A significant number of people, including internally displaced individuals residing in relief camps, participated in the demonstration, which drew attention to the ongoing crisis in the valley areas of Manipur.
The protesters, mostly composed of women from Moreh of Tengnoupal, gathered at Kakching Lamkhai. They silently lined the roadsides with their faces covered in cloth as the Chief Minister and his convoy made their way to the foundation stone laying ceremony.
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This protest was orchestrated under the aegis of Langsai Thouna, a civil society organisation based in Kakching district.
Rajiv Kshetri, the convener of Langsai Thouna, equated the plight of the displaced with being “like fishes in a pot”.
He strongly condemned the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state, accusing them of inaction regarding the crisis.
“What steps have been taken to allow these displaced individuals to return to their original homes? Why doesn’t the chief minister visit and inquire about the conditions of these people, made refugees in their own land?” he was quoted as saying by the local press.
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According to Kshetri, no efforts have been made to resettle the displaced Meitei residents of Moreh, a border town at the Indo-Myanmar border.
He claimed that approximately 4,500 Meitei residents, along with others from the valley’s fringe areas, are currently housed in relief camps throughout Kakching district.
During his visit, Chief Minister Singh initiated projects valued at Rs 14 crores. These developments include road enhancements and the construction of a football ground with natural grass at Keirak.
