Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Kangujam Ranjit on Friday demanded proper financial packages for the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) sheltering in various relief camps across the state following the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 in this border state.
Speaking to the media at Sugnu Bazaar, K. Ranjit, the sitting MLA from the Sugnu Assembly constituency, said that IDPs who fled from the Serou/Napat areas in his constituency have yet to fully receive government rehabilitation packages, despite most of them returning to their homes in recent days.
More than 110 IDPs, escorted by security personnel, returned to their homes in Serou on December 24, 2025.
The Congress is demanding proper resettlement of the IDPs before the New Year 2026, in line with earlier government announcements, he stated.
In response to a query from a journalist, K. Ranjit, a former state cabinet minister, appealed to the IDPs in his assembly segment to return to their homesteads, noting that the law and order situation in the area is reportedly stabilizing.
Approximately 2,000 villagers fled Serou, a village in Kakching district, during the initial surge of violence in the Meitei-Kuki conflict.
On the night of the attack (May 28, 2023), they took shelter at the residence of MLA K. Ranjit Singh before being evacuated by the 37th Assam Rifles the following day to safer locations such as the Pangaltabi Relief Camp.
During these attacks, a significant number of houses were destroyed. In early June 2023, reports indicated that at least 100 houses were set on fire in a single incident.
Three villagers, including an elderly woman, lost their lives during the attacks.
As of December 2025, some IDPs from Serou have returned home. Serou became a major flashpoint due to its strategic location, leaving it nearly deserted in the months following the initial outbreak.
The Manipur government had earlier announced the resettlement of displaced persons in three phases: July, October, and December. However, the measures have not been fully implemented, and proper rehabilitation is still pending.
In the ongoing ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities, over 260 people have lost their lives, and nearly 62,000 were rendered homeless.
The violence that began on May 3, 2023, destroyed over 8,000 houses.