A group of Meitei scientists and academics, the Pan-India Manipuri Meitei Scientists and Academicians Association (PIMMSAA), recognized over 120 students living in Manipur’s relief camps who successfully completed their Class 10 and 12 exams.
The top three students received the “Community Resilient Educational Financial Support Award (CREFS) Award,” while others received consolation prizes and certificates.
The event, also marking the PIMMSAA’s founding day, aimed to encourage students affected by the ethnic violence and provide them with support.
PIMMSAA members highlighted the students’ resilience and the challenges they faced, with some students and their parents arriving at the ceremony with only the clothes on their backs. They also emphasized the organization’s commitment to providing sustainable livelihood support to internally displaced people.
The CREFS Award is a part of PIMMSAA’s efforts to motivate students from the Meitei community and recognize their achievements amidst the ongoing ethnic violence.
The event was attended by prominent academics, including Manipur University’s former Department of Physics head Ngangkham Nimai Singh and Department of Chemistry head Nongmaithem Rajen Singh.
The ethnic violence between the Meitei community and Kuki tribes has resulted in over 220 deaths and the displacement of nearly 50,000 people.
