Imna Imchen
Saturday October 22nd 2005. We returned back into our Diphu camp around 5pm. The shops were closing and the streets were turning into deserted black stretches. We just returned from the refugee camps located around the town. It started to rain and we were anxiously waiting for the other team to reach because after 6 pm it will be curfew.
Around 60 of us left for Diphu that morning from Nagaland. Our team comprised of members for Oriental Theological Seminary, Asian Baptist Federation and volunteers. We were divided into two teams and we were assigned to visit ten refugee camps. In fact we were in no position to cover all the 41 camps spread all over Karbi Anglong. Still we tried to cover as much as we could. We donated cloths, food and medicine to these homeless and helpless people.
As we stepped into the first refugee camp, we were a little chaotic. We were overwhelmed with the number of homeless people in that camp. We quickly organized them into groups consisting of children, male adults and female adults. As we were distributing, an elderly woman brought a naked infant and asked us if we could give a cloth to cover the naked child. As the team members quickly searched the bags, one of our team members asked if she was the mother. She replied, “Both the parents have been killed and their houses have been set on fire.” Before I could even digest the fact that this child is an orphan, another mother, carrying another baby came to us for some cloths for the baby. Before we ask anything, she said, “Our houses were burnt to ashes. I couldn’t save anything. All I have is what we are wearing now.” She then continued, “We were seven of us but my husband and four other kids were killed and burned.” As I looked at the child, I was thinking what a way to begin ones life. These innocent infants have survived more than 20 days barely clothed, cold showering rain, very little food and no medical attention. I kept thinking to myself how long can one survive under such conditions?
During the next 6 refugee camps that we visited, similar heart breaking stories were told by many more. By the end of the day, I couldn’t even digest it anymore. Close to 30,000 homeless Karbis, Dimasas, Nepalese and other tribal, are taking shelter in refugee camps because of some irrational people who are mercilessly massacring innocent lives. It’s uncertain what the actual cause of this conflict is. Some people say that it’s a religious war. Some other thinks that it is political whereas some other believes that it’s ethnic clash. Whatever the reason might be, such senseless activities cannot be justified.
That night, the team leaders had a quick meeting and then decided to visit one of the villages that were already destroyed. We asked the volunteers to guide us but none of them were willing because there were no security and the Karbi and Dimasa armed outfits were roaming around the villages. After much persuasion, two volunteers agreed to guide us. Early next morning, 14 of us boarded the cars and went to a village. As we reached the village, my heart was filled with so much pain and sorrow. I couldn’t believe how another human being could do such cruel things to another human being? Pigs, cows, chicken, and other domesticated animals were running around everywhere but not a single human being to be seen. Everything was deserted. We walked to one of the burnt house and there we saw some burnt human bones. I couldn’t touch it. As we started to leave, an auto rickshaw drove to the village. We were alarmed and asked the driver why he was there. The driver replied, “The lady who lives here came to see what’s left in her house.” We politely went to her and expressed our sympathy. She was in tears and she told us the story.
“Some unidentified people came to our village and torched the houses on fire. Before long, some people in two cars came to our village and told us to leave the village. As we started running away from our own burning houses, we heard gun shots. It became a battle field for both Karbis and Dimasa outfits.” She began to weep and told us, “I can still hear the gun shots very clearly.” I can only imagine the trauma she went through. That night, some people were killed and many more injured.
We returned back to our camp and then visited the Karbi Baptist Church and returned back to Dimapur. We passed through many refugee camps on our way back. I couldn’t stop thinking how these people will survive the cold winter. Many don’t even have another piece of cloth to spare. What they were wearing will definitely not stand the cold either. Then there is no good sanitation in any of the refugee camps. These homeless people are not far from water and air borne epidemics. Sadly, there are hardly any medical teams.
It was a powerful and touching experience for me. As I closed my eyes, I could feel how God has blessed me so much, much more than I need. But my heart is troubled because there are still many naked infants out there in the cold showering rain. My heart is filled with sadness and I keep on thinking how long can these infants resist death? As the bitter cold winter draws nearer, death with now be armed with bitter cold. Once the epidemics starts, death will increase the attack with all kinds of diseases. I worry for these helpless infants. How long can they resist death? Maybe if I visit my brothers and sisters again with more cloths and medicine it will untroubled my heart.
.JPG)
