Imphal: Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) staged a protest rally in Imphal on Monday, seeking a clear response from Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on their resettlement to native areas.
The protesters, comprising displaced families and members of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, began their march from Kwakeithel in Imphal West district towards the Raj Bhavan.
However, the rally was halted by security forces at Keisampat junction, around 200 metres short of the governor’s residence, where barricades were erected and personnel, including the Rapid Action Force, were deployed to prevent the march from proceeding.
Raising slogans and holding placards, the demonstrators demanded immediate steps to facilitate their return home.
The messages on the placards called on the governor to respond to their appeals, asserting that resettlement was a right and not a concession, and urging authorities to end delays in the process.
Addressing the media, one of the protesters, S. Kebisana Devi, said that several memorandums seeking resettlement had been submitted to the authorities, including the governor, but had elicited no response.
She questioned the continued silence of the administration despite the prolonged displacement of thousands of citizens.
The protest comes against the backdrop of ethnic violence between Meitei groups in the Imphal Valley and Kuki-Zo communities in the hill districts, which erupted in May 2023.
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The violence has claimed at least 260 lives and forced thousands to flee their homes.
The state has been under President’s rule since February 13, 2025, following the resignation of then chief minister N. Biren Singh earlier that month.
According to Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, nearly 10,000 people displaced by the violence have been resettled so far.
He said the government has begun phased resettlement under a Rs 573-crore Resettlement and Rehabilitation Package announced by the Centre in the 2025–26 Manipur Budget.
