In a heart-wrenching development, students from Manipur studying in Delhi have come together seeking rations and deferment of house rent due to a lack of funds from their homes in Manipur. Many of their parents have lost their homes and are unable to send money due to the internet curbs imposed in the state.
Also, many youths from Manipur have fled to Delhi over the past week and put up with the students here, adding to their financial burden at a time most of them have exhausted the allowances they received in April.
With no relief in sight, these students have now banded together and are seeking help from the government and other stakeholders. They have appealed for immediate assistance in the form of rations and the deferment of house rent to help them tide over this difficult period.
Donald, an Ambedkar University student and adviser to the Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), told this newspaper that a North-East Students Committee for Manipur Crisis, Delhi, had been formed earlier this week.
Steered by the Naga Students’ Union, Delhi, the Committee — supported by student groups from five northeastern states — is lobbying with landlords to defer rent collection from Manipur students, and with the Manipur government for essential rations to be provided here.
The situation in Manipur has been particularly challenging, with many families struggling to make ends meet due to the internet curbs imposed in the state. With no access to online transactions or digital payment systems, parents are unable to send money to their children studying in other parts of the country.
The initiative comes at a time tensions have been running high following an assault last week on Kuki students here by suspected Meitei students.
Donald, the convener is from MSAD—which has a larger proportion of Meiteis. The co-convener Liangkiudinbou Marenmai is the president of the Zeliangrong Students’ Union Delhi—that represented students from three Naga tribes from the trijunction of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. Co-convener Liangkiudinbou Marenmai is president of the Zeliangrong Students’ Union Delhi, which represents students from three Naga tribes based at the tri-junction of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.
“We have an identity other than that of our ethnicity — that of being students…. We are reaching out to ministers, MPs, state agencies, NGOs, anyone who can help,” Donald said.
“The riots began at the start of the month, before we could receive money from home. Now we are all broke, and we have to unite to help each other.”
So far, 300 students have registered themselves on the Committee’s online form, and the details have been shared with officials in Manipur, Donald said
So far, the Committee has not received any complaints of the forcible eviction of students from paying guest accommodations around Delhi University’s campuses for failure to pay rent. The Sangharsh Samiti has apparently put in a word with the residents’ welfare associations.
A demonstration, mainly by Kuki students, was held at the Delhi School of Economics on Friday against last week’s assault, for which no arrests have been made.
Hatneihoi Haokip, a Kuki student of psychology at Ambedkar University, said three psychology students and a psychiatrist had formed a group called “Rise Together” to help students afflicted with mental trauma.
The plight of these students highlights the urgent need for policymakers to address the challenges faced by students from remote and marginalized communities. It is imperative that the government takes immediate steps to provide them with the support they need to continue their education and secure a better future for themselves and their families.
It is a difficult time for everyone, and we must come together to support those who are most vulnerable. The students from Manipur in Delhi have shown great resilience and strength in the face of adversity, and it is our duty to ensure that they receive the assistance they need to overcome this crisis.
