Interacting with internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a programme in Imphal, Manipur CM said that his government has been focusing on the reign of peace and goodwill since it took charge of the State after almost a year of President’s Rule. Photo credit: X/@YKhemchandSingh
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Thursday (February 19, 2026) said he could not predict when the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people displaced by the ethnic conflict over the last few years could return to the homes they left behind. However, his government is trying hard to bridge the gap between the two warring communities to remove the fear of venturing into each other’s areas, he added.
More than 260 people have been killed, and about 62,000 others displaced in the violence that broke out on May 3, 2023. The State has been partitioned geographically between the two communities ever since.
Interacting with internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a programme in Imphal to distribute ₹33 crore as relief through direct benefit transfer, the Chief Minister said that his government has been focusing on the reign of peace and goodwill since it took charge of the State after almost a year of President’s Rule. The interaction with the Kuki-Zo and Meitei IDPs was both physical and virtual.
Trust deficit
The IDPs from both communities poured their hearts out, narrating their plight and the hardships they have faced in the last three years. While a Kuki girl from Kangpokpi district told the Chief Minister to consider her as his own daughter and said she was facing difficulties in pursuing postgraduate studies, a Meitei woman said she yearned to return to her home in Moreh, a Kuki-majority town on the Myanmar border.
Another Kuki-Zo woman from a relief camp in Churachandpur underscored the difficulties her community members face in getting medical treatment.
Calling for the revival of insaniyat (humanity), the Chief Minister said he could not set a date for the IDPs to return home, but insisted that his government was leaving no stone unturned to bring the two warring sides together. “I will not let your tears go in vain,” the Chief Minister said, adding that his government’s priority was to remove the trust deficit between the two communities.
Medical, educational arrangements
He said airtight security would be provided to Kuki-Zo people who want to visit the Meitei-dominated State capital of Imphal for medical treatment. “There will be absolutely no problem for you in getting medical treatment in the hospitals of Imphal. A few new ambulances have also arrived; we will make some arrangements,” he told the IDPs in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
The Chief Minister also assured them of a special plan for about 6,000 Kuki-Zo students whose studies were affected by the ethnic conflict.
He said a few IDPs have returned home in less vulnerable areas, but “challenges remain as fear continues” to rule. “Lasting peace will come only when communities reach mutual understanding,” he said, appealing to civil society organisations from both the Imphal Valley and the hills to work together for the restoration of normalcy.
Financial support
Mr. Singh added that the special support of ₹2,420 per person is being provided so that the IDPs can replace worn-out mattresses and essential personal items.
He highlighted other financial assistance measures, including ₹1 lakh per family for those whose houses were fully burnt, with ₹25,000 already released to 9,314 households as the first instalment. Another 434 households will soon get the first instalment of ₹25,000, while an additional assistance of ₹20,000 will be provided to all 9,748 eligible households, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh, MLAs Sapam Kunjakeshwor Singh, Nishikant Sapam, and Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, senior officials, and public representatives also attended the programme.
Published – February 19, 2026 09:49 pm IST
