At the sprawling District Khelo India centre in Kakching, a facility built to train sports prodigies in the district, Britain, 28, stands at the entrance, talking to four middle-aged women. These women are not athletes. They are people displaced by the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence in Manipur. “This is a rehabilitation centre. I have been a volunteer here for the past two years. Around 60 displaced families live here,” says Britain. At the centre, like many in the district, a skill development programme was started by the District Collector’s office last year where candle making, craft making, carpentry, detergent making, and stitching are taught. “The last time a skill programme was conducted here was in October (2024). They took some of the people to factories and got them jobs,” says Britain. Among the 60 families, and 134 people, is Ebeyaima Maibam, 71. She says her son trained in carpentry for some time and is now building his own house. “My son and daughter-in-law got compensation from the government to build a house in Serou. Once it’s complete, we will move there and start our shop again,” says Maibam. She used to have a grocery shop in Sugnu, which was vandalised two years ago during the violence. Naobi, 50, and her son Thoiba, 19, have been at the centre for the past two years. During the violence, they fled to Myanmar from the border town of Moreh. “We lived there for two months in a Buddhist temple before we were deported. All my certificates were destroyed. I have to arrange Rs 25,000 to get them made again,” says Thoiba. He says under the skill development training programme, he was offered candle making but declined. “My mother and I earn by working in the fields during harvest season. I just need money to get my certificates and take my Class X exam,” says Thoiba. Kha Manipur College in Kakching is also home to two rehabilitation centres; the skill development programme was initiated here, too. At one centre, located on a side of the road dividing the college administration offices from a football field, lives Thomba. The 20-year-old fled from Sugnu in 2023 after his house was burnt down. Sitting in a room, green sheets covering the roof and a pot of rice in a corner, from which residents take their portions one by one, Thomba says last year, he heard that a skill training programme would be held at the centre. Mani, a volunteer at the facility, says a majority of people at this centre were more comfortable taking up jobs as labourers or field workers. At the second centre, 100 metres away, the training appears to be a hit. Maniyama Khuniyayi, who manages the centre, says many residents have become self-employed. “They were taught detergent making. Some of them also made candles; most were sold in the market,” he says. For the initiative to empower displaced persons through skills training and sustainable livelihood opportunities, Kakching District Collector Rohit Anand was recognised under the Skill Development category at the Excellence in Governance Awards 2024 organised by The Indian Express. “We wanted to provide skills to the people so that they can earn their dignity back via employment… People wanted to go back, but how do they earn money for that? The government can give them ration, but how do they get jobs? This was our goal,” Anand said.
