Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): N Skmacha Singh has suffered from a facial paralytic attack after his returning to Bhopal from his native village in Manipur.
The 49-year-old Skmacha, who works with the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) in the city, was in Manipur for almost a month. He reached Manipur on May 9, a week after brutal ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state, and returned on June 6.
“I was so stressed and tense there that I could hardly sleep. The doctors (in Bhopal) told me that the stress and sleep deprivation may have caused the facial palsy,” Skamcha said.
He had travelled to Manipur along with his wife and two children to his native village Ningthoukhong in the Bishnupur district of Manipur. His 80-year-old father and 76-year-old mother live in the village.
His younger brother’s wife and children had already shifted to a safer place but he wanted to ensure the safety of his elderly parents. “That’s why, after a gap of almost five years, I travelled to Manipur,” he said.
Skmacha’s village has around 96 houses where 600-700 residents live. “When I reached there, many of the residents had already fled to safer places. Some moved to places of relatives and friends and some shifted to relief camps,” he said.
Skmacha shifted his parents to the home of his sister, about 3 km away, which is at a relatively safer place. He said that the situation in the state is serious. “We could hear gunshots at night.
The Internet is shut and so is the cable TV network. Mobile phones are working but they are more a source of rumours,” he said.
According to Skmacha, after shifting his parents to his sister’s place, he and his brother visited their house in the village to ensure that it is safe. “Jawans of the Sikh Regiment and of the Manipur police have built bunkers there and are protecting the place from raiders. But the people are still feeling unsafe,” he said.
Giving an example of how divided society is, Skmacha said that he has a childhood friend, who is a Kuki. “But neither he nor I can gather the courage to talk to each other,” he added.
He said that if it wants, the government can easily control the situation and restore peace. “But I don’t know why the government is only talking, not taking concrete action,” Skmacha asked.
