Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh announced on September 3 that 36,000 people have returned home following the ethnic conflict that ignited in May 2023. Roughly 60,000 individuals were forced from their homes during the violence. The update came during a state Assembly session sparked by a discussion from Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar Singh.
About 24,000 people remain in relief camps. The state continues to send monthly financial aid to 59,000 displaced persons to cover ongoing livelihood gaps. Many who returned home still struggle to earn a living. The Chief Minister noted that money cannot fix everything. He said, "Financial assistance alone cannot address the impact of a conflict that has continued for three years."
Mental health remains a priority as the Health Department targets trauma caused by the prolonged crisis. Officials are also looking at long-term rehabilitation through labor cards and the Planning Department. The government recently revived the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus line and intends to reopen the Moreh trade route soon.
Khemchand emphasized that people in both hills and valleys want the same thing. They want to go home. He urged leaders to set aside politics to handle the humanitarian fallout. Rebuilding trust between fractured communities stands as the government's primary hurdle to lasting peace.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 2:00am
Khemchand met with representatives from six to seven joint associations of displaced persons last month. These consultations aimed to map out specific rehabilitation programs to speed up the return process.
Legislators across the floor earned praise from the Chief Minister for their collective support in pushing the resettlement efforts forward.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 9:50pm
Khemchand inspected a damaged water pipeline at L. Champhai village in Kangpokpi district, which had been cut by miscreants during the 2023 violence. The line serves residents in Thangmeiband, Imphal. PHED officials expect to finish the repairs within a month, with security forces stationed to protect the site.
During a public session at the Christian Centre Church in Leimakhong, the Chief Minister pledged to upgrade the local Primary Health Centre to a Community Health Centre. To bridge the service gap, he arranged for specialist and super-specialist doctors from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences to hold mobile clinics in the area. The Chief Minister also traveled to Kanto Sabal village in Imphal West to meet with the Women Welfare Organisation to address their specific local grievances.
Updated at 5th September 2026 at 9:46am
During his site visit to L. Champhai, the Chief Minister was accompanied by MLAs Haokholet Kipgen, Kh. Joykisan Singh, and Heikham Dingo Singh. He tasked the village chairman, Thangkhomang, with ensuring the community works closely with engineering crews to fast track the pipeline repairs.
At the Leimakhong public forum, local leaders weighed in on the push for unity. MLA Haokholet Kipgen labeled the area a Mini Manipur, pointing to its mix of Meitei, Kuki, Naga, Nepali, and Bihari residents. Meanwhile, MLA Kh. Joykisan Singh pushed for locals to prioritize a shared Manipuri identity over specific community allegiances to help heal the rift.
In Kanto Sabal, the Chief Minister met with the local Women Welfare Organisation at the Village Development Committee Hall. He listened to their specific local complaints and promised government backing to resolve the issues.
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