Manipur to pay ₹10 lakh to families of 49 missing

What is the govt providing compensation for?

It compensates families for lost income and hardship because the 49 people, missing since ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023, remain untraced. Under law, missing people are presumed dead only after seven years, so families lack death certificates and cannot claim standard compensation. The cabinet approved this one-time ₹10 lakh payment as a special humanitarian measure.

Why can't people just go back to their homes?

Many cannot return because their homes were destroyed or are occupied by vigilante groups. A community worker said people fear sleeping in bullet-riddled houses. Fear also persists because rights activists say people have been picked up, called insurgents and killed, with no accountability. So relocation needs safety guarantees.

Why is seven years the rule for missing people?

Under Indian law, a missing person is presumed dead only after seven years, so families cannot get a death certificate before then. Without that certificate, they cannot claim the compensation available to families of the officially dead. The ₹10 lakh is a special humanitarian measure for these 49 families, who remain classified as missing.

Why does the seven-year wait keep families from getting compensation?

Under Indian law, a missing person is only presumed dead after seven years. Without that presumption, families cannot get death certificates or autopsy reports, which are essential to claim standard compensation schemes. This one-time ₹10 lakh payment is a special humanitarian exception that bypasses those requirements, acknowledging that these families face hardship similar to those who lost kin.

Why does impunity matter more than the money?

Money cannot restore what the families of the missing need most: accountability. Rights groups say as many as 1,528 people were unlawfully executed in Manipur between 1979 and 2012, yet not a single policeman or soldier has been put on trial. The Supreme Court ordered compensation in some cases, like Michael Ningombam's family receiving ₹5 lakh, but the killers remain untouched. Until that changes, the fear that keeps people in camps will not go away.

Who was Thangjam Manorama Devi?

Thangjam Manorama Devi was a 32-year-old woman allegedly gang raped and murdered by paramilitary soldiers in Manipur in 2004. Her mother led a nude protest that drew worldwide attention. She was one of about 1,528 people rights groups believe were unlawfully executed in the state between 1979 and 2012.

What has to happen before the displaced can go home?

The government has a ₹523 crore plan to resettle the 60,000 people still in camps, but resettlement depends on security, land availability, and home readiness. Hundreds marched in Imphal in January demanding a return with adequate protection. Our read: until the security situation changes on the ground, the phased plan will stay slow, and many families will remain in camps.