15 killed, 28 missing, thousands displaced: How kids bear the brunt of ethnic conflict in Manipur

Imphal/Churachandpur: More than 200 children displaced in the Manipur conflict were found to have been taken to Maharashtra by some Hindu religious organisations in violation of norms, according to officials in the Northeastern state, a sign of how the unending cycle of violence has upended kids' lives in the state.

After an alarm was raised by the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), 50 were reportedly brought back to the state but their details have not yet been submitted to the administration and the commission.

Not just this, the conflict has claimed the lives of 15 children while 28 others remain missing since the violence broke out on May 3, 2023.

"The missing children are feared to have been killed," an official told DH at Imphal.

Thousands of displaced children also remain out of schools due to fear of fresh violence, a psychological blow that would have ramifications for years to come.    

An official from the MCPCR said there are certain rules when it comes to removing displaced children from a conflict zone. "Their intention may not be bad, but any organisation willing to take out the displaced children must submit details with the local Child Welfare Committee and follow the norms meant for welfare of children," said the official.

A senior official aware of the development told DH in Imphal that at least five such children were rescued from a school at Nashik in Maharashtra in February following reports of torture and harassment.

"A Supreme Court order in 2010 prohibited the transfer of children below 12 years of age, after several children from Manipur were rescued in Tamil Nadu," he said.

All the displaced children, the official said, "are Meiteis". "Some displaced Kuki children might have also been taken out similarly. We are trying to gather details from the Kuki hills," said the official. 

Relief camps

The Government Dance College campus in Imphal, one of the relief camps meant for the Meiteis displaced from Kuki-dominated hills, is home to several children.

When DH visited the camp, little Leeshi (name changed) was more concerned about her pet dog, Sero. "He has not taken any food yet today," Leeshi told DH as she ran after Sero with a bowl of food she collected in the relief camp.

Kuki displaced kids at Moivom village in Churachandpur district.

Her house in Kuki-dominated Moreh, about 110km away in Tengnoupal district, was burnt down in May last year.

Schools were shut in May and June due to the sporadic incidents of gunfight and arson. Children taking shelter in relief camps had to remain out of schools till they were admitted in nearby private schools in December-January.

"They were having serious adjustment problems as they studied in a better private English medium school in Moreh," Leeshi's father, Dhiren, said.

Scene in Kuki hills 

Similar scenes prevail at a relief camp at Moivom village in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district, about 80 km away from Imphal, where 552 displaced Kuki persons, including 101 children, have been taking shelter since May and June.

They hail from eight Meitei-dominated villages in Chandel, Tengnoupal and Churachandpur district.

"Some children have been admitted to schools here but the schools are situated about 7 to 10 km away," said D Khaiminlen, a local Kuki leader and in-charge of the relief camp housed in an under-construction university.      

Keisam Pradip Kumar, Chairperson of MCPCR, feared the trauma would have a serious impact on the psychology of such children. "I urge the state and central government to consider the Manipur issue as an unprecedented national crisis and take up special measures to take care of the displaced children by giving sponsorship facilities under Mission Vatsalya scheme," Kumar said.