Imphal: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the state government to provide equal relief assistance to all internally displaced persons (IDPs), regardless of whether they reside in official relief camps or elsewhere.
Addressing a press briefing at the COCOMI office in Lamphel, attended by several displaced individuals, COCOMI Convenor Y.K. Dhiren stated that the government must treat all IDPs equally and continue support until they can safely return to their native homes.
Dhiren noted that while thousands of people continue to live in relief camps and receive regular rations, displaced families staying outside the camps have not received this month’s financial or ration assistance.
He described the discrepancy as discriminatory, warning that categorising IDPs into separate groups could create unnecessary divisions among affected communities.
Emphasising that non-camped IDPs face the same hardships arising from the ongoing crisis, Dhiren demanded the immediate release of pending July ration funds for displaced persons living outside relief camps.
Echoing these concerns, Meitei Council Moreh (MCM) General Secretary L. Brojen termed the denial of assistance to non-camped IDPs unacceptable. He said many families are forced to stay outside camps due to unavoidable circumstances, such as medical emergencies, space constraints or other critical reasons, making differential treatment by authorities deeply unfortunate.
Raising concerns over delays in providing aid to non-camped IDPs, the MCM said the High Court of Manipur had earlier directed authorities to examine such representations from a pan-India perspective and demanded strict implementation of the directive.
Approximately 43,000 IDPs remain displaced across Manipur following the ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023.