Federation of Haomee Urges Modi and Amit Shah to Provide Suitable Regular Government Job and Housing for Internally Displaced Meitei Families; Demands Abrogation of SoO

The Federation of Haomee has urged the Union Government to provide at least one suitable regular government job and official housing (quarters) for every internally displaced Meitei family.

The federation submitted a letter to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Governor of Manipur, and the Secretary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

The Federation of Haomee stated that since May 3, 2023, all Meitei houses in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh, and adjoining areas near Kuki villages have been burnt down, destroyed, or forcibly seized.

FoH claimed that all properties belonging to Meiteis, including paddy fields, were unlawfully taken, and their cattle were dragged away and slaughtered.

So far, more than 60,000 Meiteis remain displaced, living in agony in overcrowded relief camps, where fifty people share a single hall. According to the letter, they survive on just rice and dal provided once daily by the government.

Describing the lives of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as tormented and purposeless, FoH claimed that some IDPs have been driven to madness, begging on roadsides or selling small items to support their children's basic needs, including education. It further alleged that some have committed suicide due to trauma.

“What are the faults of the innocent displaced people living in relief camps? Why has the government turned a blind eye and refused to hear their cries? What led to this situation?” FoH questioned the concerned authorities.

No appropriate action has been taken to address these dire conditions, the federation added.

The Federation also expressed concern over illegal migration and unchecked settlement in Manipur, stating: “Illegal migration of foreigners, unregulated settlement, and the establishment of numerous new villages in Manipur—particularly without security verification—have led to easy inclusion in voters’ lists, issuance of fake Aadhaar cards, and manipulation of government documents. These factors have resulted in abnormal population growth, surpassing that of the indigenous population.”

The Federation stated that the Union and State Governments’ decision to sign the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with 25 Kuki militant organizations based abroad, as part of a Tripartite Agreement on August 22, 2008—without these groups ever waging war against the Government of India—was a deeply unfortunate step.

“Because of the SoO agreement, these groups freely carried out illegal extortion on national highways, kidnappings for ransom, looting, poppy cultivation, and drug trafficking,” the letter added.

FoH further alleged that the SoO agreement has allowed such criminal activities to flourish unchecked. It urged the Union Government to uphold justice and immediately revoke the SoO agreement, stressing that there should be no further extension of the pact with the "foreign-based" Kuki militant groups.