No home to celebrate’: Manipur IDPs hoist black flags on India’s Independence Day
Displaced people mark August 15 as ‘day of anguish’ over prolonged crisis
Imphal: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in relief camps across Manipur hoisted black flags to protest India’s Independence Day celebrations, citing their continued displacement and the absence of a permanent solution to the crisis in the state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protest was reported from several relief camps, including those at Sajiwa, Sawombung and Akampat, where displaced people staged demonstrations and raised black flags to highlight their plight.
The protesters said thousands of people have been living in relief camps for more than three years after being forced to leave their homes, with many still facing uncertainty over return, rehabilitation and livelihood. They said the prolonged displacement has deprived them of dignity, security, stable livelihoods and normal family life, and questioned the relevance of celebrating Independence Day while a large number of people remain homeless. The black flags, they said, symbolised their anguish over the loss of homes and livelihoods and the continued uncertainty surrounding their future.
“We have no meaning for ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ as we have no ‘ghar’ now to celebrate,” the protesters said, referring to the loss of their homes and normal lives amid the prolonged crisis. The IDPs said the protest was intended to draw the attention of the government and the wider public to their situation and press for a safe and dignified return, rehabilitation and restoration of normalcy in Manipur. The demonstrations came as displaced people continue to remain in relief camps more than three years after ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May 2023.
