Manipur votes for unity today. Thousands of internally displaced persons, the worst affected population that has borne the brunt of the ethic strife, are lining up at special polling stations to cast their vote in the hope there will be peace and unity in Manipur once again.
Majority of the displaced persons living in nearly 300 relief camps across the state have homes in fringe districts that act as a melting pot for Meitis, Kuki zo and many other communities who have lived together and forged friendships over years . These friendships are broken today, their calls go answered , but the hope is alive of coming together again .
Konsam Surjit Singh, staying at a relief camp at an Anganwadi centre in Imphal with his wife, has volunteered to help other displaced persons exercise their voting rights. The Election Commission has given “voter information slips” to those displaced persons whose voter ID cards were burnt or lost during the violence. They are showing these slips to cast their votes in the 94 special polling stations set up across the state .
The last few days have been hectic for Surjit who helped the displaced persons in his camp understand the importance, painful as it may be, of exercising their voting rights.
“If we don’t vote, we might be in a worse situation than today. We want to go back to our homes, we don’t want any separation from other communities because we have been living with them all along,” says Surjit.
Born and brought up in Motbung village in Senapati district, Surjit had friends from different communities including Kuki zo, Nagas and others. “My friends are not picking up my calls now. Some of them blocked my number. But I know we will talk again. We want Manipur to be united.”
The sentiment in the displaced camps is unanimous . “Our vote is for unity of Manipur.”
The temporary divide between the Hills and Valley may be sharp at the moment, but there is hope especially among the internally displaced people that it can be overcome as quickly as it got created if there is political will of an empathetic leadership.
Khongkham Taru Singh, 69, is one of the first internally displaced persons to cast his vote at the Trade and Expo Centre Complex in Imphal. Hailing from Serou village in Kakching district, Taru suffered huge financial loss as his properties got burnt. “It has been one year and we have not got any compensation. Except for two meals a day, we have not got any help. We need compensation to rebuild our lives. We want to return home.”
Ibemcha is another camp volunteer who is assisting women in one of the relief camps in Imphal to reach the special polling station. With a broad smile, she explains that their lives may be difficult today but they cannot afford to lose hope.
“We face problems even under shelter of our own homes. When you lose even that, what is left to loose?” she said. “We have to fight for our rights. We have to assert ourselves through our vote.”
Ibemcha says no one came to ask them for their votes and she isn’t aware of the campaign agendas or the leaders of the political parties. “I feel politicians did not approach us thinking we will start making demands. We don’t live on borrowed money or comforts. We only want our rights back .”
Manitombi, 63, is also left holding a voter slip today having lost her voter ID card to the fire that engulfed her house a year ago. But it is the spirit of the internally displaced people of Manipur that is holding the torch for unity and peace as the country goes to polls.
