Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Moreh’s Naga community is demanding the Manipur government facilitate their return to ancestral lands. They have lived in exile since fleeing ethnic violence in 1992. Marashang Hashuwoshi, chairman of the Moreh Naga Village Authority, presented the case in Imphal on August 27. He wants state intervention now.
Hashuwoshi claims the state neglects the 1992 victims while supporting those displaced during the conflict that began on May 3, 2023. He says the disparity is stark. "Both Kuki and Meitei displaced persons receive regular assistance from the government," Hashuwoshi said. He argues the Naga families deserve the same financial and material aid.
The Village Authority claims many families still hold valid homestead pattas for properties in Moreh. State Settlement Office records confirm these claims, according to community leaders. They argue this paperwork provides clear proof for their repatriation. The group established their presence in the border town in 1974. Official figures from that era counted 73 Naga settlements with a combined population of 539 people.
Violence in 1992 shattered these communities. Families fled to a temporary camp in Irong, located in what is now the Tengnoupal district. They stayed there for three months. Initial relief came from the United Naga Council and other civil society groups, but government aid dried up quickly. Hashuwoshi alleges that local Kuki groups and migrants from Myanmar burned Naga homes and forced the population to flee. Past attempts to resolve the issue failed. Memoranda sent to officials and the Deputy Commissioner in 2014 went ignored. The community is now pushing for a formal mechanism to ensure safe resettlement and justice.
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