Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Displaced Meitei residents are demanding their right to return to Dolaithabi. They have spent over two years in relief camps since violence erupted in May 2023. These families left behind destroyed homes and seized land. Now, they face a new barrier: demands from Kuki Inpi Saikul that their return requires ethnic consent. This effectively turns a basic right into a political concession.
Official progress remains frozen. Residents met with the Imphal East Deputy Commissioner in July 2025 to press for a return date. While the DC promised safe passage within two months, no such resettlement has occurred. Security forces currently block access to the village, citing the area as sensitive. Despite these risks, some residents have swam across the local dam just to see the remains of their properties.
The emotional toll is absolute. Rajkumar Prem, a displaced villager, described his frustration with the government's empty promises. He told reporters, "If the assurance was not fulfilled, he would return home and take his own life." His words highlight a growing desperation among those living in state-run shelters.
The issue centers on the status of so-called buffer zones. These areas lack any official legal standing as permanent ethnic borders. Critics argue these zones have been weaponized to prevent the original inhabitants from reclaiming their soil. By labeling the return of victims as a potential provocation, pressure groups are attempting to codify displacement into a permanent territorial claim.
The state government carries the primary responsibility for this failure. It must verify land rights and provide the security necessary for families to rebuild. A house remains useless if its owner cannot reach it. Governance cannot hide behind security labels while citizens remain in exile. Resettlement is not a favor to be negotiated between groups. It is a fundamental right that the state is obligated to uphold.
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