Amid violence in Manipur, this fest in Imphal is sowing hope for displaced people

Imphal: For over a year, Manipur has been grappling with the effects of large-scale ethnic violence that swept large swathes of the Northeast state. Over 67,000 people in the state have been displaced during the crisis, according to the 2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

So how do the people, whose lives have been upended, get back on their feet? RiseUp Foundation, a non-government organization, believes it has an answer in the form of its ‘Hopefest’. The pop-up market event, held 4 times since October of 2023, serves as a platform for internally displaced persons to sell their wares and earn money. Over its 4 editions, Hopefest has sought to “connect entrepreneurs with customers and provide a platform to promote their products and services”, Swati Thounoujam, co-founder of RiseUp Foundation, told Business North East. The fourth and latest edition was held last week in Sangaiprou, Imphal West.

Thounaojam, a budding entrepreneur, is also the founder of ‘Manipur Shopping’, an online store selling goods made by local artisans.

The fourth iteration of the event was organised by the RiseUp Foundation and sponsored by Fatafat, an online delivery service, and supported by AMA - Association of Meiteis in the Americas. This time, the vendors included both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and regular traders. “We had 12 businesses from across categories participating in street food, clothing, accessories, art and crafts”, said Thounaojam. A booth for mental health counselling was also set up.

So what does RiseUp hope to achieve through its series of pop-ups?

“Economic upliftment is at the core of our work”, Thounaojam told this platform. “With these events, we wish to create a nurturing environment where people of Manipur can come together and support each other and grow our economy.” The protracted ethnic violence in Manipur brought down the state's exports, while also dealing significant blows to the agriculture and trade sectors.

Thounaojam, who lives in Imphal, says that the state is still reeling from the aftereffects of the devastation and the economy is still suffering and will need "a lot of time and collective efforts" to recover. She said, “Although at the surface level, the political situation seems to be looking up, the economy and the common people are still struggling. Unemployment has amplified and livelihoods have been affected. Until the displaced persons can go back to their homes, we can’t say things are normal.”

The ethnic clashes have been triggered by a dispute between the region’s Meitei majority, living in the valley, and the Kuki tribes, who live in the surrounding hills. Over 200 people have died since the onset of the violence on May 23 last year.

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