Imphal, September 28: A 13-year-old boy was found hanging at Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp in Manipur on Sunday, raising concerns over the mental health of children displaced by the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
The boy hailed from Lamtaikhunou under Borobekra sub-division in Jiribam district. His family has been staying in the relief camp since their house was burned during clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, officials said.
Police said the incident took place around 1:50 am when the boy was found hanging from a parking shed inside the camp. They received a call at 2:10 am and rushed to the spot. The body was taken to Jiribam Hospital and later sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. A case has been registered at Jiribam Police Station under UD Case No. 06/JBM-PS/2025 U/S 194 BNSS, 2023, police further said.
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According to the boy’s mother, her son had returned to the camp around 11 pm (Saturday) after attending a Lai Haraoba festival.
Families in the camp said they were shocked by the incident and voiced concern that children are under severe stress because of long-term displacement. Parents fear the trauma of violence and uncertainty is leaving deep emotional scars on their children.
Keisam Pradipkumar, Chairperson of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), said he has taken the case seriously and submitted a report. He stressed the urgent need for regular monitoring of relief camps, counselling support for children, and immediate enforcement of the Manipur State Policy for Children, which was revised in April 2025 but remains pending.
Pradipkumar also expressed concern over a rising number of child suicide cases in recent months. In July this year, too, another 13-year-old displaced boy died by commiting suicide at a school hostel in Saiton. In August, a 15-year-old boy from Moirang Khoiru Makha Leikai was found hanging at home, followed later that month by the death of a Class IX girl from Thamnapokpi in a suspected case of cyberbullying.
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Meanwhile, the latest incident at Jiribam relief camp has once again drawn attention to the humanitarian crisis faced by thousands of displaced families in Manipur and the urgent need for stronger child protection measures.
(Newmai News Network)