IDPs, COCOMI members throng Lok Bhavan seeking immediate resettlement

A large number of internally displaced persons and members of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity today converged near Lok Bhavan, pressing the Governor for immediate intervention and concrete measures for their resettlement.
The protest followed COCOMI’s earlier warning that if the government failed to initiate timely administrative action to address the long-pending issues of internally displaced persons, the affected families would be compelled to take to the streets. With no visible response from the authorities, hundreds of displaced persons from different relief locations gathered and attempted to move towards Lok Bhavan to submit their demands directly to the Governor.
Security forces were deployed in large numbers along the approach roads to Lok Bhavan, particularly near Keisampat junction, to prevent the protesters from advancing. The displaced persons, many of whom have been living in relief camps for months, raised slogans demanding immediate resettlement, restoration of their homes, reopening of national highways, and protection of Manipur’s territorial and social integrity.
COCOMI sources said that 11 representatives of the organisation and displaced persons were allowed to meet the Chief Secretary, following which the Governor also held a meeting with the delegation. However, the protesters expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of a clear and time-bound assurance from the authorities.
The protest site at Keisampat witnessed heavy deployment of central and state security forces, including Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Manipur Police, as tensions remained high. The displaced persons continued to shout slogans such as “Let us return to our homes,” “Open the national highways,” and “Manipur belongs to us,” reflecting growing frustration over prolonged displacement and uncertainty.
COCOMI stated that the agitation was a result of the government’s continued failure to provide a credible roadmap for rehabilitation and warned that public pressure would intensify if the demands of the internally displaced persons are not addressed without further delay.