A women’s convention in Imphal urged the Centre to announce a time-bound rehabilitation plan for internally displaced persons in Manipur.
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IMPHAL — A women’s convention held in Imphal on Tuesday as part of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence has urged the central government to provide a clear, time-bound plan for the safe return, resettlement and reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur.
The convention was organised by an organising committee formed by women survivors of various forms of violence. In its declaration, signed by representatives of four women’s bodies, the convention also called for the establishment of an independent and impartial commission of inquiry to investigate all cases of violence against women in the state.
Calling for a stronger justice mechanism, the participants urged authorities to invite UN Rapporteurs on the human rights of IDPs and on the protection of women human rights defenders. They also reiterated the long-standing demand for a branch of the Supreme Court in the Northeast.
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The declaration appealed to all communities in Manipur to “wake up and take the responsibility of protecting mothers, sisters, daughters and grandmothers from violence.” It further stressed that legislators, prosecutors and investigative agencies, including the police, must “urgently bring perpetrators of violence against women to prosecution.”
According to data compiled by an Imphal-based NGO from local newspaper reports, 98 cases of violence against women were recorded in Manipur between January and October this year. The figures show a decline from 138 cases in 2024, 132 cases in 2023 and 191 cases in 2022.
Of the 98 cases reported so far this year, molestation (18), murder (15) and missing (12) accounted for the highest numbers, followed by rape (9), sexual assault under POCSO , suicide (7) and delivery-related deaths (4). July alone recorded 27 cases, the highest in a single month, according to Women Action for Development, Imphal.
The organisers said the continuing violence underscores the urgent need for accountability, rehabilitation measures and community-wide commitment to protecting women and girls across Manipur.