When violence erupted in Manipur last month, Kit Vaiphei had never imagined he would lose all his documents — all he is now left with is a copy of his Aadhaar card on his phone. The 19-year-old, who dreams of studying psychology at Delhi University, worries this would pose problems during college admissions and in landing a job.
Kit, along with his mother and brother, who are from Churachandpur, decided against going back home and fled to Delhi. Currently, they are lodged at a relief camp in Mahipalpur along with several other families.
The state has been in turmoil since May 3 after clashes broke out between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community. At least 80 people are reported to have died in the violence.
So far, two camps have been set up by churches in the national capital for those fleeing from the Northeastern state — one in Mahipalpur and another in Dwarka — where around 15-20 families are staying. Many who have escaped have also taken refuge at their family and friends’ houses.
An uncertain future Back home, Kit had just finished his Class XII exams and was working as a waiter at a cafe in Imphal to help his family. His mother was a caretaker at a church in Langol, Imphal, while his brother, Paulem Sang Vaiphei, was pursuing his graduation from Manipur University and giving computer lessons to young kids in the area.
Recounting the violence, Kit said: “… At midnight, we heard a noise and saw a mob rushing towards us… we ran towards the nearby church and hid in the basement.”
The next morning, he and his brother chanced upon a CRPF truck passing by and helped women and children from the area take shelter at the force’s camp. “We stayed back in Langol to protect our homes and belongings… but the mob returned with guns so we fled… we had to leave everything behind, including our documents. We reached the CRPF camp on May 6 and from there, we came to Delhi on May 15,” said Kit.
He and Paulem are now looking for jobs — both brothers have applied to be waiters at various restaurants but have had no luck so far. “Everywhere we go, we are asked for educational certificates but we don’t have them,” Kit added.
Also at the Mahipalpur camp is 29-year-old Rachel. A civil service aspirant, she and her family hail from Lamphel near Imphal. While she managed to get all her documents with her, she is now looking for a job at a BPO and admission at a Kendriya Vidyalaya for her brother. “My brother was to join class 9 in Imphal… I’ve been told getting admission in a KV in Delhi is next to impossible so I am worried about that… My parents are not working anymore. My mother was receiving pension but that won’t be enough to sustain our family of five — parents, brother Kelvin and sister Melody — in Delhi. So, I will have to look for a job,” said Rachel.
She said during the violence, the mob also killed her dog — a St Bernard — which has left them broken. At the CRPF camp where the family stayed for days, Rachel said there was hardly any food for the around 8,000-9, 000 people taking shelter there. “I still get nightmares and have not been able to sleep since May 3,” said Rachel.
For a 23-year-old student from Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, who fled the city in the first week of May to live with cousins in Delhi, there is uncertainty about returning and continuing the internship that is part of the course. “I don’t know how safe it is for us to return. We were at a relief camp for a few days. Friends who were at the camp have also moved to other cities… Agartala, Andhra Pradesh,” the student said.
Biakthang, a PhD student at Manipur University, is afraid that the stipend that is part of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) will be difficult to get. “It requires a signature from the supervisor, which I can’t get unless I return,” he said.
The 29-year-old, who moved to Delhi to stay with a family member who works here, added: “We fled the campus and went to a relief camp for six days. I was lucky enough to have taken my wallet, laptop and documents with me. The possibility of going back home was nil; some of us had to ask relatives in other places to help book flight tickets for us. We wanted to simply get out of Imphal…”
Bad news from home
For those who have escaped, fear for family members back home persists. A 35-year-old who flew out of Imphal to Delhi in the first week of May with her toddler, and now lives with her husband in Delhi, said, “I have this constant fear… if a phone call comes from my siblings or parents, I’m scared about what bad news might be headed my way. I keep trying to convince them to come to Delhi, but my parents feel responsible for my other relatives who are all there.”
“My family has not returned to our home, which we were told was burnt down. They are staying with relatives. We have so many friends from other communities, with whom we are so close. When family members were at the (relief) camp, there was fear. Friends from other communities have brought extra clothes and food for us when we were in need,” she added.
Manipur residents at a camp in Mahipalpur, Delhi. Express 
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