In a powerful show of anguish and desperation, thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including displaced students from across Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District, on Friday staged a massive protest at Kangpokpi district headquarters demanding the immediate restoration and disbursement of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) by the Government of Manipur, describing the assistance as their only remaining lifeline.
The demonstration, organised under the aegis of the Kangpokpi District Internally Displaced Welfare Committee (KDIDWC), witnessed participation from displaced families, students, women, elderly persons and social workers. Several prominent Kuki-Zo leaders, including Dr. Lamtinthang Haokip, joined the protest in solidarity with the displaced community.
Holding placards carrying emotionally charged slogans such as "No Home, No Job, No DBT, How Do We Survive?", "My Tummy is Rumbling, I Need Food Please", "Amma Cooks With One Cup of Rice, Where is Our DBT?", "My Child Is Hungry, Where is DBT?", "Papa Says DBT Will Buy My Books, I'm Still Waiting", and "DBT is Our Right, Not a Favour," the protesters highlighted the deepening humanitarian crisis confronting thousands of displaced families.
The protesters also raised slogans demanding equal treatment for all displaced persons, chanting, "IDP is IDP, Government must not segregate campers and non-campers."
Later, the KDIDWC submitted a detailed memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur through Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, urging the government to immediately restore the pending DBT and continue monthly assistance until displaced families are safely resettled.
Serving a five-day ultimatum to the Government, the protesting Internally Displaced Persons declared that failure to release the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) within the stipulated period would compel them to intensify their agitation through various forms of democratic protests. They categorically warned that the Government of Manipur would be held solely and directly accountable for any consequences and developments arising from its continued inaction over the plight of thousands of displaced families.
Several IDPs also narrated their hardships during the protest, saying that the continued suspension of DBT has left families struggling to purchase food, medicines and pay school fees, while many displaced students face the risk of dropping out of their studies.
The KDIDWC, representing thousands of displaced persons living in relief camps and rented accommodations across Kangpokpi District, demanded the immediate restoration and release of the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), stating that the humanitarian assistance remains the sole source of survival for families uprooted by the ethnic conflict.
The committee said that since the outbreak of the crisis over a year ago, thousands of families had been forced to abandon their homes, agricultural lands and livelihoods, leaving them with no means of earning and forcing them to survive in extremely difficult conditions.
It stated that DBT assistance is primarily used by displaced families for the most basic and urgent needs, including payment of school tuition, admission and examination fees of displaced children. Without the financial support, many students are now on the verge of discontinuing their education midway through the academic session.
The committee further said the monthly assistance is equally vital for purchasing essential food items such as rice, pulses, cooking oil, vegetables and other daily necessities, besides meeting healthcare expenses, medicines and other household needs, particularly for women, children and the elderly.
Expressing grave concern, KDIDWC stated that although July 2026 was coming to an end, not a single registered IDP in Kangpokpi District had received the month's DBT, resulting in severe hardship across relief camps.
It said parents are no longer able to pay school fees, families are struggling to buy food, patients are unable to afford medicines, while food stocks in many relief camps have already begun running dangerously low.
The committee acknowledged that restoration of normalcy would take time but asserted that until displaced families can safely return to their villages and rebuild their livelihoods, the Government has both a constitutional and humanitarian responsibility to continue extending financial support.
It warned that any discontinuation or delay in DBT at this critical stage would only deepen the suffering of innocent children and vulnerable families already enduring prolonged displacement.
Placing its demands before the Government, KDIDWC sought the immediate release of the pending DBT for all registered IDPs for July 2026, continuation of monthly DBT until complete normalcy is restored and displaced families are safely rehabilitated with sustainable livelihoods, fixation of a definite monthly timeline for DBT distribution to eliminate uncertainty, and complete transparency to ensure that every genuine displaced family receives the assistance without exclusion.
The committee further declared that the pending DBT must be released immediately, warning that while it would continue to cooperate with the Government in verification and distribution, it would not be held responsible for any consequences arising from prolonged delays.
Appealing directly to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and all concerned departments, KDIDWC urged the Government to accord the matter top priority, stating that the future of displaced children and the survival of thousands of affected families now depend on the timely release of the financial assistance.
In the memorandum, the committee reiterated that the Direct Benefit Transfer has become the lifeline of thousands of internally displaced persons who have lost their homes, agricultural lands, livelihoods and every source of income due to the ongoing conflict.
The committee stated that the financial assistance is being utilised exclusively for payment of school fees, admission charges, examination fees, purchase of books and uniforms for displaced students, procurement of rice, pulses, edible oil, vegetables and other daily food items, as well as medicines, hygiene materials and other urgent household necessities.
It emphasised that with no possibility of returning home until normalcy is restored, displaced families remain completely dependent on the Government's financial support for survival.
Expressing deep concern over the continued delay in the July DBT, the committee said many children are already unable to attend school due to non-payment of fees, elderly persons and patients are struggling to purchase medicines, while basic rations in several relief camps are rapidly depleting.
While acknowledging the financial and administrative challenges before the Government, KDIDWC appealed that the humanitarian crisis confronting displaced families cannot wait, asserting that every delay in DBT directly threatens the survival, health and future of innocent children and vulnerable families.
The committee urged the Government to immediately sanction and release the pending July DBT for all registered IDPs, continue the monthly disbursement until displaced families are safely resettled in their native villages with sustainable livelihood opportunities, and establish a transparent monthly distribution mechanism to ensure that every genuine beneficiary receives assistance without exclusion or discrimination.
It further maintained that timely release of DBT would not only provide immediate relief to thousands of displaced families but also reaffirm the Government's commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of its citizens during an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, adding that no child should be denied education and no family should be forced to go hungry because of administrative delays.
Reaffirming its willingness to cooperate fully with the Government in verification and distribution processes, the committee appealed for urgent humanitarian intervention, expressing hope that the immediate restoration of DBT would bring much-needed relief and renewed hope to thousands of displaced families who continue to look towards the Government for support.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
