Thousands of people displaced by ethnic clashes in India's north-eastern state of Manipur two years ago now face an uncertain future, as the government plans to shut down all temporary relief camps by December.
The violence, which erupted in May 2023 between the majority Meitei and the indigenous Kuki communities, was the worst the region had witnessed in decades.
It started after protests by the largely Christian Kuki community against the Meiteis, mostly Hindus, who were demanding official tribal status that would grant them access to the same government benefits and job quotas as other tribes, including Kukis.
At least 260 people were killed in the clashes and around 60,000 displaced people have since been living in temporary shelters.
Over the past two years, the government has made repeated promises to rehabilitate the displaced, but little has changed on the ground. Many say their lives remain in a limbo - effectively homeless and without a steady source of income.
Anxieties grew further in July when the state's then Chief Secretary Prashant Singh announced that all relief camps would be shut down by December and its residents would be resettled.
He added that those unable to return to their homes would be relocated to pre-fabricated housing units.
The government, however, did not clarify where these units would be - whether near the relief camps or near displaced people's original homes - worsening their concerns about future.
Uncertainty grew in September when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first visit to Manipur since the violence began, announced that 7,000 new homes would be built to resettle the displaced in appropriate locations without giving any other details.
On the ground, Manipur remains sharply divided: the Meiteis inhabit the Imphal Valley, while the Kukis live in the surrounding hill districts; and security forces continue to patrol the buffer zones that separate the two communities.
Experts say resettling people in their original neighbourhoods is crucial to prevent the violence from redrawing Manipur's social map.
This is not good for a secular, democratic India. Resettling them in their original homes is most critical, said RK Nimai Singh, former secretary to the Manipur governor.
He added that many displaced people feared that if they left the relief camps and moved into temporary housing, they might never be able to return to their homes.
The unease, coupled with uncertainty over where the new homes will be built, has raised doubts over whether the government would be able to close all relief camps by December.
As tens of thousands of people continue to live in relief camps, many complain about not getting the facilities the government promised them. Inside the camps, residents say prolonged displacement and uncertainty are also taking a toll on people's mental health.
The government has assured that efforts will be made for people's safe return, yet the fears and anxieties among the residents are palpable, marking a troubling chapter in the region's recent history.
