Imphal, June 8 : Ethnic bullets have again forced migrant workers in Manipur to huddle into relief camps, while those who had a little money fled to their homes in Bihar.
At least 20 migrants today left the relief camp opened at the Dharmasala in Imphal city and went back to their home state.
“Yes, about 20 migrants left the camp and returned this morning and a few more may leave in the next few days,” Rajesh Thakur, a barber at the camp, said.
Police picked up about 100 migrants, mostly barbers, cobblers, cleaners and bakery staff, working in various parts of the city and brought them at the Dharmasala after four migrants were killed by unidentified men between June 3 and 5 in Imphal East, Bishnupur and Thoubal districts.
Another worker is struggling for his life in a city hospital.
Eighteen non-Manipuri workers have been killed since February.
The police blamed cadres of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) for at least two attacks and announced a cash reward of Rs 1.5 lakh for information on four cadres of the outfit. They also released photographs of two of the accused yesterday.
Unofficial sources said several migrants left the state after the first strike at Khurai Lamlong of Imphal East on June 3 in which a grocery store owner was shot dead.
After the attacks, the Okram Ibobi Singh government advised migrants not to venture out of home.
Those at the relief camp have not even received any humanitarian aid either from the government or from any organisation.
Crammed into two rooms at the camp, all that the workers received were a few rugs to sleep on.
“We are a nine-member family, including five children. We want to go home in Bihar, but we do not have enough money. We are afraid of returning to work. We are even paying for our food at the camp. If no aid arrives, we will starve,” Mahender Thakur, a barber, said.
The migrants fervently appealed to the government for humanitarian aid to keep them going till they can go back to work.