Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen reached out to displaced people taking shelter at the Phaitol Relief Camp in Tamenglong district, extending immediate humanitarian assistance to families forced from their homes following the recent outbreak of violence in the region.
The Deputy Chief Minister provided rice, dal and other essential commodities to the displaced villagers, in what the Phaitol Relief Committee described as a swift and compassionate response to the plight of civilians who have been uprooted by violence.
According to the Phaitol Relief Committee, around 154 Kuki-Zo villagers, including a large number of women, children and elderly persons, have been displaced from their homes and are currently sheltered at the relief camp following the violence, particularly the deadly September 13 attacks in Tousem Sub-Division of Tamenglong district.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s intervention comes at a time when the displaced families are facing acute uncertainty, having been compelled to leave their homes amid heightened security concerns and growing fears for the safety of civilians in vulnerable areas.
The September 13 violence marked a particularly grim chapter in the recent unrest in Tamenglong and adjoining areas. Four people, including two women, were killed in separate attacks in Tamenglong and Noney districts that day.
In the Tollen area of Tousem, a woman was killed after armed assailants attacked a family home, while her husband later succumbed to his bullet injuries. Their young son was also injured in the attack. The violence occurred on September 13, observed by the Kuki community as ‘Sahnit Ni’ or ‘Black Day’, commemorating victims of the Kuki-Naga violence of the 1990s.
The attacks, followed by further incidents in the region, have deepened insecurity among villagers in remote settlements and forced vulnerable civilians to seek safety in relief centres.
Against this backdrop, the Deputy Chief Minister’s intervention assumes significance for the displaced families, who are dependent on humanitarian assistance for food and other basic necessities while being unable to return to their homes.
The Phaitol Relief Committee expressed profound gratitude to Kipgen for her timely, generous and humanitarian intervention, saying her assistance had brought much-needed relief and reassurance to the displaced families.
The committee particularly appreciated the Deputy Chief Minister’s decision to reach out to the affected people and provide essential supplies at a time when women, children and elderly persons among the displaced population remain particularly vulnerable.
The gesture, the committee said, demonstrated sensitivity towards civilians caught in the continuing cycle of violence and underscored the importance of extending immediate humanitarian support to families who have lost the security of their homes.
For the displaced villagers at Phaitol, the relief supplies provided by the Deputy Chief Minister were not merely essential commodities but a tangible expression of solidarity at a time of profound distress and uncertainty.
The Relief Committee conveyed its heartfelt appreciation to Kipgen for standing with the displaced families and responding to their immediate needs, while urging continued support and protection for civilians affected by the unrest.
The September 13 attacks have meanwhile intensified calls for accountability and stronger protection of vulnerable communities in the affected areas. The state government had subsequently agreed to hand over the Tollen killings investigation to the National Investigation Agency and assured rehabilitation and support for the four minor children left orphaned by the attack.
