INDIA: New and protracted displacement ongoing in absence of formalised response A profile of the internal displacement situation 22 December, 2008 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 11 INDIA: NEW AND PROTRACTED DISPLACEMENT ONGOING IN ABSENCE OF FORMALISED RESPONSE 11 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 27 GENERAL 27 FOUR CATEGORIES OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN INDIA 27 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN KASHMIR 28 SINCE 1989, CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND SEPARATIST MILITANTS MADE KASHMIRI PANDITS FLEE THE VALLEY (2005) 28 DISPLACEMENT IN JAMMU & KASHMIR DUE TO MILITARY TENSIONS AND ARMED CLASHES BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN (DECEMBER 2006) 31 MIGRATION OF OVER 2,000 FAMILIES DUE TO MILITANCY ALONG BORDER BELT OF RAJOURI AND POONCH DISTRICTS IN JAMMU (NOVEMBER 2008) 33 FIVE YEARS SINCE 2003 CEASEFIRE, TENSIONS ESCALATE BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN (DECEMBER 2008) 34 BIGGEST PROTESTS AGAINST INDIAN RULE IN KASHMIR VALLEY IN TWO DECADES (AUGUST 2008) 36 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN THE NORTH-EAST 40 SHORT PRESENTATION OF THE EIGHT NORTH-EASTERN STATES 40 GENERAL BACKGROUND TO INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN NORTH-EAST INDIA (NOVEMBER 2004) 42 ASSAM: GENERAL CAUSES FOR DISPLACEMENT (JANUARY 2006) 44 ASSAM: CLASHES BETWEEN KARBIS AND DIMASAS DISPLACE OVER 40,000 (JANUARY 2006) 46 ASSAM: MUSLIMS OF BENGALI ORIGIN EVICTED BY NATIONALIST GROUPS (JUNE 2005) 47 ASSAM: VIOLENCE AGAINST HINDI-SPEAKING PEOPLE FORCED THOUSANDS TO FLEE THE STATE (JANUARY 2007) 48 ASSAM: VIOLENCE TARGETING HINDI-SPEAKING MIGRANTS AFTER CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE CAUSES THEIR FLIGHT (JULY 2008) 49 ASSAM: INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN THE BODO-SANTHAL CONFLICT (DECEMBER 2006) 50 ASSAM: CLASHES BETWEEN BODOS AND MUSLIM SETTLERS DISPLACE OVER 150,000 (NOVEMBER 2008) 52 TRIPURA: DISPLACEMENT DUE TO CONSTRUCTION OF FENCE ALONG THE BORDER WITH BANGLADESH (SEPTEMBER 2005) 54 TRIPURA: 4,500 TRIBALS DISPLACED BY INSURGENT GROUPS (MAY 2006) 56 3 TRIPURA: INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT DUE TO CONFLICT BETWEEN TRIBALS AND NON-TRIBALS (JULY 2004) 56 TRIPURA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED BRU/REANG FROM MIZORAM (MARCH 2005) 59 TRIPURA: PROTRACTED DISPLACEMENT OF BRU FROM MIZORAM ONGOING DESPITE A PEACE AGREEMENT (DECEMBER 2008) 61 MANIPUR: CLASHES BETWEEN ETHNIC ARMED GROUPS IS THE MAIN THREAT FOR THE CIVILIAN POPULATION (2007) 63 MANIPUR: ETHNIC CLASHES AND SECURITY OPERATIONS DISPLACED THOUSANDS DURING 2006 (JANUARY 2007) 65 MANIPUR: DISPLACEMENT OF NAGAS (2006) 67 ARUNACHAL PRADESH: THREATS AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHAKMAS (2000- APRIL 2004) 70 DISPLACEMENT OF NEPALIS IN NORTH-EAST INDIA (MARCH 2007) 72 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN WEST-BENGAL 73 DISPLACEMENT REPORTED IN THE WEST-BENGAL DISTRICT OF NORTH DINAJPUR DUE TO CLASHES BETWEEN BORDER GUARD FORCES (FEBRUARY 2005) 73 DISPLACEMENT IN NANDIGRAM REGION DUE TO CONFLICT ORIGINATING FROM THREAT OF DEVELOPMENT-INDUCED DISPLACEMENT (JULY 2008) 74 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN CENTRAL INDIA 77 CENTRAL AND EAST INDIA: DISPLACEMENT ON THE INCREASE BECAUSE OF FIGHTING BETWEEN LEFTIST EXTREMIST GROUPS AND GOVERNMENT FORCES (JANUARY 2007) 77 CHHATTISGARH: THE CONFLICT INTENSIFIES (MARCH 2007) 79 MAOIST INSURGENCY AND COUNTER-INSURGENCY SPREADING AND LEADING TO DISPLACEMENT IN CENTRAL INDIA (JULY 2008) 81 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN GUJARAT 84 GUJARAT: DISPLACEMENT DUE TO COMMUNAL VIOLENCE (APRIL 2002-2003) 84 THOUSANDS ARE STILL INTERNALLY DISPLACED AND LIVE IN "RELIEF COLONIES" (MARCH 2007) 86 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN ORISSA 88 COMMUAL VIOLENCE LEADS TO DISPLACEMENT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS (OCTOBER 2008) 88 INFORMATION ABOUT DISPLACEMENT OF DALITS 90 DISPLACEMENT OF DALITS (FEBRUARY 2007) 90 DEVELOPMENT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT 91 LINKS TO INFORMATION ON DEVELOPMENT-INDUCED DISPLACEMENT IN INDIA 91 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 94 GLOBAL FIGURES 94 DISPLACEMENT FIGURES (2000 - FEBRUARY 2007) 94 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 98 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED KASHMIRI PANDITS FROM THE VALLEY SINCE 1989 (2007) 98 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: OVER 6,000 FAMILIES REMAIN DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES ALONG THE LINE OF CONTROL (JANUARY 2007) 101 NORTH-EAST: BY THE END OF 2001, USCRI ESTIMATED A TOTAL OF 157,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED 104 ASSAM: STATE-WIDE ESTIMATES OF NUMBERS OF DISPLACED (JANUARY 2007) 106 ASSAM: INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT OF SANTALS AND BODOS (2003 - DECEMBER 2006 ESTIMATES) 106 4 ASSAM: SMALLER POPULATION OF IDPS FROM BODO-SANTHAL CLASHES REMAINING IN CAMPS AS OF 2007 (NOVEMBER 2007) 109 ASSAM: BETWEEN 150,000 TO 212,000 DISPLACED DUE TO CLASHES BETWEEN BODOS AND MUSLIM SETTLERS (NOVEMBER 2008) 110 ASSAM: ESTIMATES OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT OF KARBIS, KUKIS, BIHARIS, HMARS AND DIMASAS (2003- DECEMBER 2005) 111 MANIPUR AND NAGALAND: ESTIMATES OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED (2000-2001) 113 DISPLACEMENT IN MANIPUR REPORTED DURING 2005 115 TRIPURA: CONFLICTING ESTIMATES OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED (2005) 115 GUJARAT: INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT DUE TO COMMUNAL VIOLENCE (MARCH 2007) 117 CENTRAL INDIA: TENS OF THOUSANDS DISPLACED DUE TO NAXALITE INSURGENCY (JULY 2008) 120 WEST BENGAL: THOUSANDS DISPLACED IN NANDIGRAM VIOLENCE (MAY 2008) 121 ORISSA: OVER 20,000 DISPLACED IN VIOLENCE TARGETING CHRISTIANS (OCTOBER 2008)122 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 123 GENERAL 123 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: MINORITY FAMILIES MIGRATE DUE TO SECURITY THREATS (2006) 123 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: PEOPLE LIVING ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER AND LINE OF CONTROL WERE FORCED TO FLEE SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO MILITARY TENSION (2002 – 2003) 124 ASSAM: DISPLACED FROM ETHNIC CLASHES IN THE KARBI ANGLONG AREA MOVED TOWARDS URBAN AREAS – MANY HAVE LEFT THE RELIEF CENTRES (JANUARY 2006) 125 GUJARAT: DISPLACED LIVING MARGINALISED IN RELIEF COLONIES SET UP BY NON- GOVERNMENTAL BODIES (JULY 2008) 126 CHHATTISGARH: ANTI-NAXALITE MOVEMENT SYSTEMATICALLY DISPLACES CIVILIANS FROM VILLAGES TO CAMPS (JULY 2008) 127 ORISSA: MANY DISPLACED FLED TO FORESTS, OTHERS SOUGHT SAFETY IN RELIEF CAMPS (OCTOBER 2008) 128 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 130 PHYSICAL SECURITY 130 DISPLACED WOMEN FACE NEGLECT AND DENIAL OF JUSTICE (OCTOBER 2005) 130 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: LANDMINES IS A MJOR SECURITY CONCERN ALONG THE LINE OF CONTROL (DECEMBER 2004) 131 ASSAM: INTERNALLY DISPLACED WOMEN ARE SOLD AS SEX SLAVES (APRIL 2007) 131 TRIPURA: IDPS VULNERABLE TO CHILD-TRAFFICKERS (JANUARY 2008) 132 ARUNACHAL PRADESH: IN 1996, THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIRECTED THE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF THE LIFE AND PERSONAL LIBERTY OF CHAKMA RESIDENTS (2001) 133 GUJARAT: CLOSURE OF CAMPS FORCED DISPLACED TO RETURN INVOLUNTARILY OR TO FIND SHELTER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY (JANUARY 2005) 134 GUJARAT: DISPLACED MUSLIM WOMEN ARE STILL VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE (DECEMBER 2003) 135 GUJARAT: DISPLACED WITNESSES TO THE VIOLENCE ARE NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECTED (SEPTEMBER 2004) 135 CHHATTISGARH: IDPS AT RISK FROM GOVERNMENT FORCES AND NAXALITES (JULY 2008) 136 5 CHHATTISGARH: CHILDREN BEING RECRUITED BY ALL PARTIES TO THE CONFLICT (DECEMBER 2008) 137 ORISSA: IDPS FACE THREATS FROM HINDU HARDLINERS AND PRESSURE TO CONVERT TO HINDUISM (OCTOBER 2008) 139 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 141 GENERAL 141 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: DISPARITIES IN RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO IDPS FROM THE STATE (APRIL 2008) 141 JAMMU AND KASHMIR: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT RELIEF PACKAGE TO KASHMIRI PANDITS IS STILL JUDGED INSUFFICIENT (2005) 142 ASSAM: HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED ARE NOT MET (JANUARY