Manipur will soon mark a year of bloodshed and fighting. Up until now, the government has been unable to put an end to it. We experience constant fear. incapable of preserving the family's unity. The schooling of children has ended. The business world is stagnant. About earning, what can I say? We've traveled back ten years. Let the government maintain calm, and we'll survive in any situation.

Keshav is a member of the Tamil community and resides in More, the final hamlet in Manipur. There used to be a lot of tourists in More village, which is close to the Myanmar border, but now there is just silence. Everywhere you look, there are indications of violence and burned-out dwellings. Meitei and Kuki have been engaging in violent acts since May 3, 2023, or eleven months ago. Kuki resides in the hill region, while Meitei resides in Imphal. To prevent rioting, there are army men stationed between the two neighborhoods.

Manipur has seen hundreds of murder, rape, and gangrape occurrences in the past eleven months. Over 200 people lost their lives. Over 4,000 homes were set on fire. Seventy thousand individuals were forced from their houses. Because of the current circumstances, missing people's dead bodies are still being discovered. Ngangom Navy, 17, was discovered dead at Sokom village in the Chandel district in February. The villages of Suganu and Serou were assaulted on May 28 of last year. Nevi vanished after that.
Elections for Manipur's two Lok Sabha seats will take place in two stages on April 19 and 26, notwithstanding the ongoing unrest. The team led by Dainik Bhaskar visited various locations to learn about the concerns that Manipur residents have about the upcoming elections. began in the village of More.


In the Tenganupal district's More village, Kuki and Meitei shared a home. The population of Kuki was large. Meitei fled the village as soon as the fighting broke out. Kuki set fire to Meitei's empty houses because he was so furious. There are now only members of the Tamil, Kuki, and Muslim populations remaining in the village.

Village resident Salima said, "Our work has stopped since the violence started." We used to travel to Imphal to sell items in the past. formerly brought products from there to resell in the community. I am not able to do this right now. The people become upset if you purchase stuff there and bring it here. On the other side, things are likewise the same. We're not sure how to proceed.
A closed border puts those importing products from Myanmar at risk of starvation and death.
The Central Government terminated the Free Movement Regime—that is, the FMR agreement with Myanmar—on February 8, 2024. People from India and Myanmar were allowed to visit the designated area under the terms of this agreement. It's closed as of right now.

Villager Ashraf states, "It used to be that people from More would bring goods from across the border and sell them here." The border is closed as of right now. This place is not used for farming. We must open the border in order to prevent starvation and death.

Abigail is a native of the Kuki neighborhood. She sews people's clothing to run the family. "Earlier, everything was very good," she says. We used to travel to or purchase stuff for our homes in Myanmar. We are now restricted to this location.

In addition, there aren't many essential amenities available here. Mohammad Razauddin, the president of the Manipur Muslim Council, resides in More. He claims that the village's lack of water is a major issue.

Living in relief camps, people saw their homes burn down.
From Tenganupal, the Kakching district is located in the direction of Imphal. Here in Suganu, the Meitei community resides. We got to know Army Havildar Romeo Singh in Suganu. Romeo is in Sugunu to receive medical care for his mother.

According to Romeo Singh, PM Modi visited Assam three times. rode the elephant, but never once visited our Manipur. I merely carry out my duties; I'm not really political. The sight of all this stings. I will never get to see my family. My brother resides in a village close by. The violence burned everything that he owned. All are now in the relief camp. I can't even make it to meet him.

Romeo Singh goes on, "We view our elders as parents." If the PM wants to keep Manipur peaceful, she should speak up. The Kuki-Naga people will likewise be depressed. It's possible that he also lost family members to violence.

Romeo continues, "I carry a sword to sleep with." I will kill myself if I am attacked, but not at their hands.
Women stated, "They're going to make them vote even though no one asked about the circumstances during the violence."
In the Ima Market in Imphal, only women sell items. We spoke with a few of the female store owners here. Nirmala, one of them, remarks, "It is not appropriate to hold elections in Manipur at this time." The leaders fled us as the violence broke out. Our PM has not yet made a statement.

It has been a full year. PM didn't show up once. The PM leaves for Gujarat right away in the event of an accident, but he does not travel to Manipur. Last May, the Home Minister also made an appearance. was invited to return after fifteen days, but remained silent and did not show up.

"Our people are living in relief camps," adds Nirmala. He doesn't have a job. Nothing is planned for them. Voting is now mandatory for camp residents. The PM leaves Gujarat right away in the event of an accident, yet he did not travel to Manipur.

Women stated, "They will be forced to vote because no one asked about the circumstances during the violence."
In Imphal's Ima Market, only women are vendors. Here, we spoke with a few female shopkeepers. "It is not right to hold elections in Manipur right now," declares Nirmala, one of them. The leaders left us as soon as the fighting began. As of yet, our PM has remained silent.

Eleven months have passed. Not a single PM arrived. The PM leaves for Manipur right away in the event of an accident in Gujarat, though. Also present in May of last year was the Home Minister. She was invited to return after fifteen days, but she never showed up or made any statement.

"Our people are living in relief camps," Nirmala continues. He does not earn a living. For them, there is no plan. Voting will now be required of camp residents. The Prime Minister promptly leaves Gujarat in the event of a disaster, yet he did not travel to Manipur.
Many women were observed policing Imphal's streets around 10 p.m. because they do not trust the police or the military. They are defending their own people because they do not trust the security and law enforcement agencies.

Asalta Devi Oinam, one of them, remarks, "We want to sleep soundly too, but how will we do that? Everywhere, there are gunshots. There's a fight going on. So who is going to save our family in this situation? Nonetheless, the administration claims that Manipur is now at peace. Where is the tranquility?

"We stay awake all night to keep guard," she continues. Work in the daytime. In addition, we are humans. There is labor to be done both inside and outside the house as soon as the morning arrives. I can no longer even recall gathering funds for the education and future of children. All we can fear is the moment and direction in which the bullet will be discharged.
Women will abstain from voting because they don't trust the government.
A few of the female street guards discuss abstaining from voting. 'Someone's mother died, someone's father died, and someone's daughter was killed in the turmoil,' remarks Kharibam Romita Devi, one of them. For what purpose are we here? Everyone is in tears for their loved ones. Here, people were treated like animals and killed. After realizing all of this, we became depressed. have spent the icy nights outside their houses.
The education of the students came to an end, and those who applied to other states:
Students from the Meitei-Kuki community used to attend Manipur University together prior to the conflict. Following May 3, they were likewise split into two sections. A few of these kids have been admitted to Kannur University in Kerala. There are still a lot of students looking for admission outside of Manipur.

Lal, a student at the university, states, "Manipur University has many students' mark sheets just like mine." Though we haven't gotten the marksheet yet, we are requesting it. Several attempts were made to contact the university, but there was never a response. We have halted our study as a result. We desire a website that allows us to download our degree and mark sheet.

This is not just Lal's problem. Over three thousand students are struggling with this issue. Students from the Kuki-Jo neighborhood bemoan their inability to do well academically at university. For the past year, everything has been done online. The government has blocked access to the internet multiple times in just this one year.
Who will cover the cost of transportation to exam centers located outside of the state?
The university students are led by the Jomi Student Federation. The Federation's General Secretary, Sam, states, "Many of our community's students filled out the UPSC forms last year." The center was required to select states other than Manipur after the forms were completed.

"The state government was unable to set up a center in Manipur for us." The state government was urged by the Delhi High Court to provide students with a travel allowance so they could take the exam.

He goes on, "This will happen again, and the Delhi High Court is currently hearing the case." The state government ought to consider the future of Manipur's students and provide us with an examination center outside of Imphal.

Here are the statements made by political parties:.

"We cannot solve everyone's problems at one time," stated the state president of the BJP. In Manipur, there is a BJP-led government. The Chief Minister is N. Biren Singh. "The government has started working considering the situation here," states Sharda Devi, the state president of the party. Children are receiving free education from the government in both public and private schools. Since it is challenging to tackle every issue at once, there can be some flaws.
Congress stated: Amidst the unrest, elections are the most important subject.
"The biggest issue is conducting elections in Manipur under such circumstances," says Congress State President Meghachandra. Here, only our candidates are in danger. We are concerned that candidate Bimol from Inner Manipur may be abducted by government operatives.

He continues, saying, "Violence in Manipur has not stopped in ten months." The state's law-and-order situation is dire. On this, the Chief Minister concurs as well. I think that elections shouldn't be held right now, given the violent state of affairs in Manipur. The government is still holding elections.

A congressional candidate stated that he is running for office because he believes that violence is a major problem.
Congress contender for the Inner Manipur seat, Professor Akoijam Bimol, claims that the administration has not done its duty. After promising to return in 15 days, Home Minister Amit Shah did not show up for his scheduled visit to Manipur. Speaking is one thing; putting in work is quite another.
Expert: The main problem is that governments haven't been able to curb violence.
Manipur has two seats, according to Dhiren Sadokpam, Editor in Chief of The Frontier Manipur. Manipur, both inside and out. The primary electoral problem in the majority of Inner Manipur is violence. It was not resolved by the federal or state administrations. In the meantime, local concerns and the need for administrative autonomy may predominate in Outer Manipur's areas impacted by the Naga and Kuki.

If you are able to spare your life, consider voting: Manipur residents, who were sleeping with firearms and swords, remarked, "No food, what will happen with the elections?"