Protests against the Sangai Festival, Manipur’s annual tourism showcase, turned violent in Imphal East on Friday, with demonstrators clashing with security forces amid a valley-wide ‘cease work’ called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI).
The clash broke out at Khurai Lamlong when security personnel intercepted a group of protestors, including several internally displaced persons, marching towards the venue of the festival. Officials said the demonstrators hurled stones at the forces, prompting the latter to fire multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Several protestors claimed they sustained minor injuries in the melee, accusing authorities of using disproportionate force. The tension formed the centrepiece of a day of shutdown across the Imphal Valley districts, with markets, shops and most commercial establishments remaining closed from the morning. Public transport stayed off the roads, while all schools and colleges suspended classes for the day.
COCOMI has been vocal in its opposition to the state government’s decision to hold the Sangai Festival this year, arguing that the event is “highly insensitive” at a time when thousands of families remain displaced by the ethnic strife that erupted in May 2023. The group maintains that celebrating a tourism fair while many citizens continue to live in relief camps reflects a misplaced set of priorities.
Also read: Clashes in Imphal as protesters storm Sangai festival venue
The Sangai Festival, named after the endangered brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur’s Keibul Lamjao National Park, has long been projected as a symbol of the state’s cultural identity and tourism potential. But this year’s edition has been marred by persistent criticism from civil society groups who argue that the state should concentrate its administrative and financial resources on rehabilitation and peace-building efforts.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February this year. The move followed the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who headed the BJP-led government, amid sustained criticism of his administration’s handling of the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The unrest, which began in May 2023, has claimed more than 260 lives and left tens of thousands displaced, with many still unable to return home.
While the Union government has repeatedly expressed confidence in the gradual improvement of security conditions in Manipur, the ground reality in the valley districts remains fraught, with intermittent clashes, protests and social tensions shaping daily life. Many displaced families continue to live in relief camps with uncertain timelines for rehabilitation and return.
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