6 months ago
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The Sangai Festival successful Manipur began connected Friday (November 21, 2025) amid a protestation by internally displaced persons (IDPs) and members of NGOs, impacting attendance.
Many are opposing the yearly festival, held aft 2 years, arsenic they consciousness the State authorities should person resolved the taste struggle and resettled the IDPs earlier organising tourism events. The taste struggle betwixt the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei communities broke retired connected May 3, 2023.
The protesters clashed with the constabulary for the 2nd successive time connected Friday aft they tried to tempest the festival venue successful the State’s capital, Imphal. The constabulary fired teardrop state shells to reconstruct bid aft the protestors pelted stones astatine them.
The clashes occurred amid a “cease work” by the Coordinating Committee connected Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei unit radical starring the protest. The organisation criticised the State medication operating nether President’s Rule for pushing guardant an “anti-people” festival.
Ahead of the protest, Manipur’s Rajya Sabha subordinate and titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba accused an IPS serviceman of storming onto his residential compound.
On Thursday (November 20, 2025), the MP lodged a written ailment with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, alleging that IGP (Zone-I) Themthing Ngashangva had barged into his residential compound astatine astir 1:30 p.m. and threatened information unit aft claiming that helium (MP) was sheltering the IDPs.
The Manipur constabulary said a mob of astir 50-60 individuals, identified arsenic COCOMI volunteers, took retired a march carrying placards and shouting slogans opposing the festival, defying prohibitory orders issued by the Imphal East territory authorities.
“Security unit made repeated attempts to halt and peacefully disperse the protestors. IGP (Zone–I) Themthing Ngashangva was connected the country supervising the situation. Police teams, including women personnel, repeatedly tried to halt and disperse the group,” the constabulary said successful a statement.
The connection further said that the mob turned violent, throwing h2o bottles and placards astatine the constabulary portion a pistillate protestor assaulted the IGP and utilized derogatory radical slurs portion helium was performing his duty.
“The mob aboriginal moved toward the palace premises, wherever location guards of the Hon’ble MP allowed them inside, hindering constabulary efforts. The IGP approached the gross to question the enactment of the location guards. He did not participate the premises of the palace,” the constabulary said.
Stating that a transgression lawsuit has been registered, the constabulary said that efforts were underway to place the pistillate protester who assaulted the IGP.
The protests resulted successful bladed attendance connected the opening time of the festival, which the Governor inaugurated.
The past Sangai Festival was held earlier the taste struggle successful Manipur that claimed much than 260 lives and displaced immoderate 62,000 others. The State was placed nether President’s Rule connected February 13, aft the BJP failed to scope a statement connected a successor to Nongthombam Biren Singh, who resigned arsenic Chief Minister connected February 9.
