“Don’t Want Sympathy…: Homeless Manipur Mother of Three to Centre

Rojita is now fighting for the rights of Manipur’s displaced Meiteis.

Naorem Rojita Devi, a mother of three and a survivor whose home in Churachandpur was blown up with explosives at the height of the conflict in Manipur that began in May 2023. Now residing in a relief camp in Utlou, Bishnupur district, Rojita has transformed her pain into purpose emerging as a leading activist for the rights of Manipur’s displaced Meitei community.

On April 15, Naorem Rojita took a bold step forward by meeting the Member Secretary of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and submitting a 20-point memorandum in New Delhi outlining the urgent needs of the IDPs. She also submitted the memorandum to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Defence Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Human Resource Development Minister, calling for immediate and effective action to address the worsening conditions faced by displaced people in the state.

“We are not asking for sympathy, we are demanding justice. Our future, and the future of our children, cannot be built on empty promises and forgotten commitments. We need action, and we need it now,” she said at a press conference in Imphal today after she returned from Delhi.

The memorandum includes wide-ranging demands from the issuance of new UID cards to ensure proper identity and inclusion in government records, to trauma counselling for survivors, quality education for IDP children, and a new insurance policy to cover both health and assets lost during the violence.

Rojita also demanded protection of land left behind by Meitei IDPs, proper resettlement programs, job creation schemes, student allowances, seasonal financial support, entrepreneurship initiatives, and legal aid services.

The 20-point appeal also calls for vital documentation support, access to government schemes, voter registration, political representation, sports training facilities, reserved market spaces for IDP vendors, and opportunities to participate in competitive exams. Importantly, the memorandum places strong emphasis on the demand for security and freedom of movement across the state a right that continues to be denied.

“These are not just my demands. These are the voices of thousands of families who have lost everything and are still waiting for justice, safety, and a chance to live with dignity,” Rojita said.

Despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive to ensure free movement and penalise those obstructing it, the situation on the ground remains unchanged. Government efforts to send state transport buses to hill districts like Senapati were blocked by protests and disturbances from Kuki groups, leaving many IDPs confined to valley districts.

Representing the Meitei IDPs of Rojita also urged the formation of an expert committee comprising legal scholars, social scientists, and administrative professionals to review the demands and develop a concrete plan for implementation. She stressed the need for continuous dialogue between relevant government departments, civil society groups, and the judiciary to explore feasible and just solutions. Rojita further called for a formal acknowledgment of the memorandum and a structured mechanism to monitor the progress of implementation with full transparency and accountability.

The memorandum was also submitted to six Supreme Court judges, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Justice K.V. Vishwanathan, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Surya Kant, Justice M.M. Sundresh, and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh who had visited relief camps in Manipur on March 22 as part of a NALSA fact-finding team. Rojita’s plea includes a strong appeal to the Manipur administration to extend logistical and financial support to carry forward the proposals outlined in the document.

Also Read: Manipur MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Slams Ban on Meitei Pilgrimage to Thangjing Hill, Warns Patience Running Thin

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