Protesters being confronted by security forces as they march towards the Sangai Festival venue in Imphal on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Scores of protesters clashed with police personnel outside the venue of the Sangai Festival in Manipur’s capital Imphal on Thursday, a day before the tourism event was scheduled to begin.
The protesters, comprising internally displaced persons and members of some non-profit organisations, tried to storm the festival venue as they felt the State was yet to recover from the scars of the ethnic violence that broke out on May 3, 2023.
Security personnel restored order by firing tear gas shells and wielding batons.
The protesters said the authorities should first resolve the ethnic conflict and resettle the internally displaced persons before organising “extravagant” festivals.
More than 260 people died, and some 62,000 others were displaced in the conflict between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei communities in Manipur.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal valley-based Meitei organisation, said it staged a mass agitation along with the internally displaced persons against the State administration’s “unilateral decision” to proceed with the Sangai Festival.
The COCOMI condemned the “brutal and unprovoked actions of the security forces against peaceful protesters that resulted in injuries to several individuals”. One of its leaders was allegedly arrested by the police.
Use of force
“Such excessive and targeted use of force upon civil society leaders is a clear violation of democratic norms and fundamental civic rights,” the COCOMI said in a statement.
The organisation criticised the Governor-led administration operating under President’s Rule for “pushing forward an anti-people Sangai Festival 2025 without the consent, cooperation, or confidence of the people of Manipur”.
“At a time when thousands of our own people remain displaced, when normalcy is yet to be restored, and when the wounds of violence are still fresh, the State’s insistence on an extravagant festival is insensitive, misplaced, and against the wishes of the people,” the COCOMI said.
It said the Manipur government must restore the fundamental rights and freedom of movement of all citizens, ensure the safe return of the internally displaced persons to their homes, re-establish peace and normalcy across the State, and stop all forms of coercion and suppression against civilian voices, before going into a celebration mode.
The COCOMI also called upon all residents to join a mass demonstration on Friday against the Festival.
Published – November 21, 2025 01:24 am IST
