IDPs to march to Lok Bhavan over missed resettlement deadline

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the Manipur crisis, still languishing in relief camps, have announced a peace march to Lok Bhavan on January 12, 2026, after the state government’s resettlement plan failed to meet its December deadline.
The government had earlier pledged to close all IDP camps by December 2025 through a three-phase resettlement programme, offering prefabricated housing or financial aid for rebuilding homes. However, insecurity and slow progress have left thousands of displaced families in camps across the violence-affected hills and valley districts.
Since early December, IDPs backed by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) have staged sit-in protests in Imphal, demanding concrete action under President’s Rule. In a joint statement, they expressed resentment over the administration’s “failure to keep its promise” and accused authorities, including the Governor, of maintaining silence on the issue.
The statement alleged that despite repeated memoranda, no written assurance or progress report has been provided. It said the continued non-response compelled IDPs to conclude that their constitutional grievances were being ignored.
Announcing the January 12 march, the IDPs and COCOMI stressed that the action was not a demand for privileges but an assertion of constitutional rights—safety, rehabilitation, and dignity for citizens displaced within their own state. They affirmed that the march would remain lawful, democratic, and non-violent, while cautioning that responsibility for any further distress due to inaction would rest with the administration.
The joint statement urged the Governor to break the silence and present a time-bound resettlement roadmap, adding that peace in Manipur cannot be sustained without justice, accountability, and transparency in governance.