Imphal/Churachandpur, holding her newborn baby in her arms, Hatneau says she has named her child, born in a shelter for displaced people in Manipur, Nganthoibi, which means shining light.
Amid the trauma of 11 months of conflict, violence and constant uncertainty, for about 200 displaced women from the Kuki tribe like Hattenau, who have taken shelter in various relief camps across the state, the period is unforgettable for a different reason – they Newborn babies welcomed.
"When I held my twins in my arms, all my sorrows went away," said a 26-year-old woman at a relief camp in Kakching district, requesting not to be identified or photographed. Her twin sons It is now four months old. “I will tell these stories when they grow up.,
She said, "It is an unforgettable period for me for a different reason and I want to remember it the same way even after years. I don't want any memory of this period to haunt my children when they grow up."
When she landed at the relief camp, she knew it was going to be very tough "Pregnancy is a time when we are suggested to take extra care of ourselves, not lift any heavy items, not stress and eat well. However, for me this period was completely about survival."The hill state has witnessed sporadic, sometimes intense, ethnic clashes between the majority Meitei community and the Kukis since May 3 last year, resulting in the death of over 200 people. More people lost their lives.While the Meitei population is concentrated in Imphal city, the Kukis have shifted to the hills.
Thousands of people have been displaced by the violence, with officials saying more than 50,000 are living in camps following the unrest.
Kuki-Zo woman Lu Lamwa Ngahjemkim was eight months pregnant when the clashes broke out in May 2023. She and her family arrived at a relief camp in Churachandpur, the epicenter of violence at the time. A month later, she gave birth to her daughter Christy who became "a beacon of hope in these dire times".“We were having dinner at home when the clashes started and everyone started running outside… We had to hide in the nearby hills for several hours until the army rescued us. For once, it “It felt like our world was collapsing… Slowly they built our homes and livelihoods and within a day everything was gone.”
Nine-month-old Christy has now started crawling and is the center of attraction at the relief camp. Visited six relief camps in Meitei dominated Imphal valley and Kuki-Z dominated Churachandpur district.
Among the women counting their blessings in the form of newborn babies in the relief camps, four are those who have given birth to twins.Hatneau, who has found shelter in an isolated camp in Churachandpur, previously ran a bamboo goods shop in the Imphal Valley. She is in a foreign environment, but I love her motherly nature. "I am a Kuki but I have always lived in the valley. Now due to circumstances we were forced to shift here. Last month I visited a nearby health facility. I gave birth to my child.I have named my baby girl – Nganthoibi which means shining light,” she said.
Hatteneau said at least 15 babies were born in that camp.
16 babies were born at a dedicated camp set up for pregnant women in Imphal Valley. The facility, which was opened on May 21 last year, hosted 164 women who were brought there from various relief camps across the state . The camp was closed in February when no pregnant women were found in the relief camps in the valley.“Earlier, pregnant women were living in the same camps as other women and I felt that they would not get adequate space and care during this period, so a dedicated camp was set up… where 168 children were delivered between May 202 and February. was born this year,” said Manipur BJP president Sharda Devi, who is spearheading the initiative.
He further said, "We allowed one person to accompany each pregnant or lactating woman to serve as an attendant, while the rest of the family members remained in other camps."Since Manipur is going through a period of uncertainty, There is anti-election sentiment among the displaced people in the state.
But along with the general elections, elections have been announced for two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur.
Voting will be held in Manipur in two phases on April 19 and 26.Inner Manipur and some areas of Outer Manipur will go to polls in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining areas of Outer Manipur will go to polls in the second phase on April 26. Ngajemkim says he is using this period as a gift to him as a child. Want to remember for. "Against all the odds, my daughter was born here and is healthy today. At a time when I thought none of us would survive... it feels like a miracle," Ngazemkin says.
Amid the trauma of 11 months of conflict, violence and constant uncertainty, for about 200 displaced women from the Kuki tribe like Hattenau, who have taken shelter in various relief camps across the state, the period is unforgettable for a different reason – they Newborn babies welcomed.
"When I held my twins in my arms, all my sorrows went away," said a 26-year-old woman at a relief camp in Kakching district, requesting not to be identified or photographed. Her twin sons It is now four months old. “I will tell these stories when they grow up.,
She said, "It is an unforgettable period for me for a different reason and I want to remember it the same way even after years. I don't want any memory of this period to haunt my children when they grow up."
When she landed at the relief camp, she knew it was going to be very tough "Pregnancy is a time when we are suggested to take extra care of ourselves, not lift any heavy items, not stress and eat well. However, for me this period was completely about survival."The hill state has witnessed sporadic, sometimes intense, ethnic clashes between the majority Meitei community and the Kukis since May 3 last year, resulting in the death of over 200 people. More people lost their lives.While the Meitei population is concentrated in Imphal city, the Kukis have shifted to the hills.
Thousands of people have been displaced by the violence, with officials saying more than 50,000 are living in camps following the unrest.
Kuki-Zo woman Lu Lamwa Ngahjemkim was eight months pregnant when the clashes broke out in May 2023. She and her family arrived at a relief camp in Churachandpur, the epicenter of violence at the time. A month later, she gave birth to her daughter Christy who became "a beacon of hope in these dire times".“We were having dinner at home when the clashes started and everyone started running outside… We had to hide in the nearby hills for several hours until the army rescued us. For once, it “It felt like our world was collapsing… Slowly they built our homes and livelihoods and within a day everything was gone.”
Nine-month-old Christy has now started crawling and is the center of attraction at the relief camp. Visited six relief camps in Meitei dominated Imphal valley and Kuki-Z dominated Churachandpur district.
Among the women counting their blessings in the form of newborn babies in the relief camps, four are those who have given birth to twins.Hatneau, who has found shelter in an isolated camp in Churachandpur, previously ran a bamboo goods shop in the Imphal Valley. She is in a foreign environment, but I love her motherly nature. "I am a Kuki but I have always lived in the valley. Now due to circumstances we were forced to shift here. Last month I visited a nearby health facility. I gave birth to my child.I have named my baby girl – Nganthoibi which means shining light,” she said.
Hatteneau said at least 15 babies were born in that camp.
16 babies were born at a dedicated camp set up for pregnant women in Imphal Valley. The facility, which was opened on May 21 last year, hosted 164 women who were brought there from various relief camps across the state . The camp was closed in February when no pregnant women were found in the relief camps in the valley.“Earlier, pregnant women were living in the same camps as other women and I felt that they would not get adequate space and care during this period, so a dedicated camp was set up… where 168 children were delivered between May 202 and February. was born this year,” said Manipur BJP president Sharda Devi, who is spearheading the initiative.
He further said, "We allowed one person to accompany each pregnant or lactating woman to serve as an attendant, while the rest of the family members remained in other camps."Since Manipur is going through a period of uncertainty, There is anti-election sentiment among the displaced people in the state.
But along with the general elections, elections have been announced for two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur.
Voting will be held in Manipur in two phases on April 19 and 26.Inner Manipur and some areas of Outer Manipur will go to polls in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining areas of Outer Manipur will go to polls in the second phase on April 26. Ngajemkim says he is using this period as a gift to him as a child. Want to remember for. "Against all the odds, my daughter was born here and is healthy today. At a time when I thought none of us would survive... it feels like a miracle," Ngazemkin says.
