As the Manipur Government organised colourful programmes to mark the 80th Independence Day, a disturbing contrast unfolded at several relief camps, where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staged sit-in protests holding black flags and banners declaring “Har Ghar Tiranga, Your Pride, Our Loss” and “India Shining, Manipur Stain.”
The stark message from the camps exposes what appears to be a serious failure of government planning and policy towards the displaced population. While the Government celebrates national pride and speaks of normalcy, thousands of citizens remain stranded in temporary shelters, deprived of their homes, livelihoods and a clear future. The IDP crisis can no longer be treated as a temporary humanitarian problem. More than three years into the conflict, prolonged displacement has become a test of governance and the Government’s response remains deeply inadequate.
IDPs living in Wangjing, Langol, Sajiwa, Sawombung, Akampat and other relief centres continue to face uncertainty over their rehabilitation and return. Temporary shelters were meant to provide temporary relief. Instead, for many families, they have effectively become long-term settlements without a credible roadmap for returning home. The consequences of this prolonged uncertainty are severe. Families have been separated from their livelihoods, children have been deprived of a stable environment, and many displaced people are struggling with financial and emotional distress. The deaths of displaced persons in and around relief camps have further highlighted the vulnerability of those forced to live under such conditions. The Government cannot claim that normalcy has returned while thousands of its own citizens remain unable to return home.
The arrival of a new Government raised hopes among displaced families that a fresh political leadership would bring a concrete solution. Those hopes now risk turning into another failed promise unless the Government moves beyond announcements, ceremonies and relief measures and presents a clear, time-bound rehabilitation and return policy.
The “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign makes the contradiction even more glaring. The Government asks citizens to celebrate the idea of every home proudly displaying the national flag. But thousands of Manipur’s citizens do not even have access to their own homes.
What is the meaning of “Har Ghar Tiranga” when thousands of homes remain empty and their rightful occupants are living in relief camps?
The black flags raised by the IDPs are therefore more than symbols of protest. They are a warning to the Government that patience is running out. They represent the anger of citizens who feel forgotten by a system that continues to celebrate normalcy while failing to restore their most basic right the right to return home safely.
The Government must stop treating IDPs merely as beneficiaries of relief packages. They are citizens with rights, dignity and a future that cannot be suspended indefinitely. What is urgently required is a transparent, comprehensive and time-bound rehabilitation plan, covering safe return, reconstruction of homes, restoration of livelihoods, education, healthcare, security and compensation.
Independence Day should have been an opportunity to demonstrate that the Government has a concrete plan to bring every displaced family home. Instead, the black flags from the relief camps have exposed a painful reality: the Government’s planning for the IDP crisis has fallen far short of the expectations of those who have lost everything.
Until the displaced can return home safely and rebuild their lives, claims of normalcy and grand celebrations of freedom will continue to ring hollow in Manipur.
Leader Writer: Sh Ajit