BENGALURU: While Manipur is burning 3,400 km away, students and relatives in Bengaluru are struggling to take care of their basic necessities as there is little or no contact with the community back home. The limited internet access has made communication difficult, affecting students’ fee payments, rent and even food expenses.
The Manipuri Meitei Association Bangalore (MMAB) has been sending relief material to Manipur and supporting students in the city monetarily and emotionally. So far, the association has transported 1,400 kg of items, including oil packets, vegetables, rice, dal, milk and biscuits. Other essential items such as ORS, toiletries, sanitary pads and first-aid kits were also shipped to the northeastern state.
Association members told The New Indian Express that as the national highways are blocked, the local residents are facing difficulty in purchasing essential commodities and the prices have skyrocketed. “More than 50,000 displaced people are staying in 40-45 relief camps,” said Ranjana Thiyam.
Recalling the horrors of family members, MMAB spokesperson Dhaneshwar Yumnam said, “We hear that relief camps have poor hygienic conditions, no access to healthcare and no psychiatric help to deal with the loss of their family members and homes.” Education has come to a standstill, he added.
The association condemned all acts of violence committed against women on both sides and called for peace in the state. It said, “The progress made by the state in the last decade has vanished. We need companies, associations, and governments to help rebuild Manipur. There has been a huge setback. Rights of all citizens need to be restored.”
Manipur students in the city living in hostels and paying guest accommodations are unable to do bank transactions and have been borrowing money from associations and family members staying in different states. Many are worried as they haven’t heard from their families. Though the new academic year has begun, many haven’t made it to their colleges and institutions in the city.