Human Rights Commission Recommends Aid Improvements for Violence Victims in Manipur

According to reports, the recommendations reflect "gaps" in the aid being offered. The Manipur Human Rights Commission has recommended the state government to provide "essential medicines" and "afternoon tea and snacks" to the victims of violence staying at its relief camps.

After a delegation from the Mental Health and Research Commission (MHRC) visited relief camps in the districts of Kakching, Tengnoupal, Bishnupur, Kamjong, Imphal East, and Imphal West between September 26 and October 2, the suggestions were sent in a five-page letter to Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi on October 12.

According to the letter, "the government should also provide the internally displaced persons (IDPs) with essential medicines, including those medicines as and when the consulting doctor prescribes."

"The district administration should arrange for the IDPs to receive two meals a day in addition to afternoon tea and snacks."

The MHRC further suggested that the health department set up a "staff nurse to visit the relief camps on a daily basis" and that, in accordance with the chief minister's announcement, each student who has sustained a serious injury receive Rs 50,000, "if not done yet."

The recommendations were based on the team's meetings with the camp detainees and "pointed out the gaps" in the relief being provided, people acquainted with the MHRC visits told The Telegraph.

They said that since August 30, MHRC representatives had been to ten relief camps, two of which were in the districts of Churachandpur and Thoubal. The MHRC visited Imphal hospitals on October 4th, where students receiving treatment for injuries sustained on September 26th and 27th during an altercation with security forces.

On September 28, prisoners at a relief camp in the Meitei-majority district of Bishnupur district had asked the visiting MHRC team "if some tea and snacks could be provided in the afternoon."

According to the MHRC letter, the Bishnupur deputy commissioner had promised the team he would take the appropriate action.

On October 2, prisoners at an Imphal East community health center informed the MHRC team that although medical professionals had prescribed medications during their visits to the relief camp, the prisoners "didn't have any money to buy the medicines." The sub-divisional officer was "advised" by the MHRC chairwoman to bring up the issue with the district authorities.

The rights body has also suggested that the Meitei-Kuki violence, which started on May 3 and has resulted in at least 176 deaths and over 67,000 displaced people—more than 12,000 of whom have sought refuge in neighboring Mizoram—be investigated more quickly.

K.K. Singh was a member of the MHRC team, which was chaired by U.B. Saha.

Hills' burdens

This publication was informed by a humanitarian worker in the Kangpokpi district that there was a "genuine shortage of medicines" in the highlands.

"A paucity of equipment makes the medical infrastructure in the hills incapable of managing the majority of cases. The majority of IDPs do not have a means of income, so medical care and financial support for the injured should be given. The relief worker remarked, "I have been personally asking people to help with medicines."

In order to understand the challenges encountered by prisoners in the Kuki-Zo-majority Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts—which have the biggest number of displaced people—the relief worker asked the MHRC to visit camps in the hill areas on a regular basis.

In our state, tea is a mainstay in both the hills and the valley. On Saturdays, Kangpoki provides milk, sugar, and tea leaf; we handle the biscuits ourselves," the relief worker stated.

"The administration should conduct monthly inspections to ensure that milk, tea, and biscuits are being provided by the nodal officers."

Tea was served twice a day, according to an Imphal relief camp inmate who spoke with this newspaper. However, the inmate asked the authorities to make sure that the families were allowed to return home as soon as possible.

The prisoner, a resident of Moreh, declared: "Home is home, no matter what they give us here. We wish to return. It has now been more than five months.

In a status report that the state's BJP-led administration provided to the Supreme Court on July 3, it was said that 354 relief camps, housing 54,488 prisoners, were located in 13 of Manipur's 16 districts.

It further stated that the Manipur government had approved a contingency fund of Rs 12 crore to cover emergency needs for relief, and that the Center had given "approval for assistance" of Rs 101 crore for the operation of relief camps.