IDPs burn PUCL report; demand withdrawal

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Singjamei Akampat Relief Camp staged a protest today, burning a recent report released by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and demanding its immediate withdrawal.
The camp inmates alleged that the PUCL report misrepresented facts, portraying them negatively and deepening communal tensions instead of addressing the prolonged crisis in the state. They expressed disappointment that a reputed civil liberties organisation circulated claims that they said ignored their suffering.
Speaking to the media, IDP representative Leishangthem Inaocha said, “We have been sheltering at this camp since the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023. PUCL’s suggestion that we were involved in violence is baseless and unacceptable.”
The displaced persons stressed that they are victims, whose homes were destroyed and families attacked. They accused the PUCL of relying on selective interviews, portraying the Kuki community as victims while depicting the Meitei community as aggressors.
“We demand that PUCL withdraw its report immediately and refrain from publishing biased accounts that create further division among communities,” the IDPs said.
The protest reflects growing discontent among displaced communities over narratives they perceive as unfair and one-sided, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding representations of Manipur’s ongoing crisis.