Aizawl: Manipur may have been burning for the past four months but one can very well argue that Mizoram, its neighbour, has been feeling the heat since May 3, when it went all wrong. Take the Mizoram Science Centre for example. For all intents and purposes, it was built to host school field trips. But since May 4, it has taken on a new, life-saving role: it is now home to 27 orphaned, vulnerable children who fled the perilous ethnic clashes in Manipur.
Perched atop Berawtlang Hill, the Mizoram Science Centre can be reached via a narrow, winding road that diverts from the Zemabawk locality. The children arrived in three vehicles on May 4, leaving behind their homes in Manipur.
When EastMojo visited them, the children stood together in front of the building, their faces filled with a mixture of excitement and hope. Just a day earlier, a call to one of the caretakers known as Pi Dimi had revealed a grim truth – the children had only two bags of rice and lentils left.
The children’s home, known as Discipleship Making Ministry, was established in 2020 by Roslyn Luanneikim as a response to the global pandemic’s impact on vulnerable children. But while the pandemic may be over, they now face a much bigger problem. With no other option left, they had to run from their home state (Manipur) to Mizoram.
Roslyn, a medical aspirant before becoming the children’s home’s caretaker, recounted her journey, saying, “I am just a medical aspirant. I did not intend to start a home. I received a call from the Lord that I should be working as a full-time ministry worker. I had a burden for children under the age of 18 who were vulnerable, orphaned, and abandoned. I started this children’s home ‘Ministry by Faith’ in 2020. Our home is called Discipleship Making Ministry (DMM Children’s Home), and by God’s grace, it has grown to 29 children by now.”
Her journey began with a tour of 64 villages, where she encountered not only orphans but also children of drug addicts and those without guidance. Initially, she sponsored a few children’s education with the help of friends. However, when the pandemic hit and there was no place for these children to go, they turned to her. It was then that she decided to establish the home.
In November 2020, she obtained permission from government officials to start a childcare centre under the cooperative society. The current group of children represents the third batch seeking refuge in the home.
The ethnic violence in Manipur plunged these children into fear and danger. Roslyn explained, “On May 3, when the mob attack began, two of our children, namely Kamminthang and Stanis Khaivangmuan, were so terrified that one fainted and the other vomited. The other students were trembling from fear due to the burning of houses near our place and the sound of guns. We fled to a BSF camp for the first two nights. When children are too afraid, it really affects their mental health, and they don’t have peace in their hearts. We did not feel safe staying at home and had to flee to a nearby house, around 1 km from our home. They have a better safe building infrastructure than us.”
Hailing from both Kuki and Meitei communities, two tribes locked in ethnic conflict in Manipur, Roslyn made the difficult decision to bring the children to Aizawl in search of safety. She explained, “Children from Discipleship Making Ministry (DMM) come from different communities, including both Kuki and Meitei communities, which makes us feel unsafe in Churachandpur fearing mob attacks.”
She further elaborated, “The second reason is that we were dependent on well-wishers. We don’t have regular sponsorship, and our financial support relies entirely on well-wishers from different communities in and around Manipur. Now, even they are struggling for survival, leaving us in despair. The churches were attacked and the people who used to help us have become refugees themselves. We faced a major problem with food.”
While the government shelters the children through the Aizawl District Commissioner’s office, all other amenities, including water and electricity bills, are solely their responsibility. A single tank of water, costing around Rs 2,000, lasts them a mere three days. With no government aid for food and necessities, they are entirely dependent on the community’s goodwill, even though awareness about their plight remains limited.
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Roslyn expressed the challenges they faced, citing the government’s collapse. “Discipleship Making Ministry is registered under the Co-operative Society, Churachandpur, Manipur. We were hopeful of receiving central government sponsorship after obtaining our JJ Act registration certificate from the Department of Social Welfare, Manipur. However, with the government’s collapse, the future is uncertain, and we face the risk of collapsing due to poverty, among other challenges, potentially jeopardising these children’s futures,” she said.
She concluded with hope but also uncertainty, stating, “We are under protection, so I believe that if we encounter any problems, they can help us. In the next few years, we will still be struggling, so it is better to settle in our neighbouring state. These children are Indian citizens and need protection.”
Also Read | MoD inks pact with Zoram Medical College for ex-servicemen
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