Two years on – How much longer must Manipur suffer?

It has been more than two years since the ethnic violence tore through the fragile fabric of Manipur, yet the pain, fear, and displacement continue unabated. While headlines fade and political posturing intensifies elsewhere, the people of Manipur remain caught in an unending limbo of suffering. Camps are still full, livelihoods shattered, education disrupted, and an entire generation now grows up amidst uncertainty and trauma.
What is most tragic, however, is not just the endurance of this crisis but the stark absence of any real political will—either from the Central Government or from the elected representatives of Manipur—to offer a concrete and inclusive roadmap for peace and reconciliation.
For two years, New Delhi has watched from afar as Manipur burns and bleeds. Periodic visits by Union ministers, promises of compensation, and a few administrative shuffles have done little to change the ground reality. Yes, some interlocutors have been appointed. Yes, security has been beefed up. And yes, there have been rounds of negotiations with various groups. But to what end? There is no visible framework, no timeline, and certainly no clarity on what the Centre’s long-term strategy for Manipur is—if it has one at all.
The Union Government, which claims to champion “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” has failed spectacularly in translating these slogans into action in Manipur. A conflict that has displaced over 60,000 people and left hundreds dead should not have taken this long to even begin addressing in a meaningful way. The silence from the highest offices in Delhi has been deafening. The Prime Minister’s refusal to directly address the Manipur issue in any substantial manner even after two years is not just political negligence—it is a moral failure.
And what of our own elected leaders? The Manipur Legislative Assembly (which is under animated suspension) has become a symbol of irrelevance in the eyes of the people. Most MLAs, both from the ruling BJP and the opposition parties, have either chosen to remain silent or have reduced themselves to mere mouthpieces for their respective communities. None have risen above ethnic lines to become a unifying voice for Manipur. There has been no credible all-party delegation formed. There has been no serious effort from within the Assembly to present a common front to Delhi. Instead, we see political cowardice, opportunism, and a disgraceful abandonment of the people who elected them.
It is important to acknowledge that the suffering in Manipur is not the burden of one community alone. Meiteis continue to live under fear, with sections displaced from their homes and entire villages affected by blockades and insecurity. Kukis too are living in camps, their homes in the valley gone, their social fabric torn. Nagas, Pangals and other communities have also suffered collateral damage—from economic loss to psychological trauma—as the state disintegrates into a patchwork of mistrust and militarised zones.
Students have lost critical years of education. Farmers cannot reach their lands. Small businesses have collapsed. Healthcare remains inaccessible in many regions due to mobility restrictions and the breakdown of governance. What more evidence does the government need to understand that this is a crisis of historic proportions?
Let us be clear: time does not heal wounds in a vacuum. Time, without justice, without dialogue, without reparations, only deepens the scars. A generation that grows up watching their parents in relief camps and their leaders in hiding will not forget. The longer the Centre waits to act decisively, the deeper the divisions will become.
The people of Manipur are not asking for miracles. They are asking for leadership. They are asking for peace. They are asking for dignity and justice. Two years is already too long to suffer without a roadmap. The silence of those in power is not just disappointing—it is dangerous.
The road to healing must begin with political courage. The Centre must stop treating Manipur as a peripheral irritant and engage with urgency, empathy, and transparency. Simultaneously, our MLAs must rise above their narrow electoral calculations and remember their oath to serve the entire people of Manipur.
If not now, when? If not for the people, for whom? History will remember who stood up for Manipur—and who stood by as it burned.