No let up in protests against Sangai Festival

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 28: Students of Friendship Educational Academy, Khurai Tinsid Road and Lamlong Higher Secondary School took out a protest rally against Manipur Sangai Festival 2025  this afternoon.
On the other hand, a large number of people staged a sit-in-protest at Tera Bazar against holding Manipur Sangai Festival 2025.
At around noon, students of Friendship Educational Academy and Lamlong Higher Secondary School gathered in front of their schools and formed a human chain.
Then they marched toward the Khuman Lampak side.
When they reached Lamlong Bridge, they were stopped by a large number of security personnel.
The students, however, breached the security barricade and proceeded toward Khuman Lampak.
When the protesting students reached the main entrance gate of the Electricity office located at Khuman Lampak, they were stopped by security personnel and prevented from going further toward Khuman Lampak.
The protesting students held placards and shouted slogans denouncing the holding of Manipur Sangai Festival 2025.
The shouted slogans like “We oppose Manipur Sangai Festival”, “Free movement first, Manipur Sangai Festival next”, “First resettlement, next Manipur Sangai Festival”, “We condemn physical assault of students by security personnel”, “Suspend security personnel involved in assaulting students” etc.
Later the students were escorted back to their respective schools by police.
Denouncing the Government’s decision to hold Manipur Sangai Festival 2025, a large number of people staged a sit-in-protest at Amudon Akham Leikai Leirak (Tera Bazar) under the aegis of the Amudon Akham Leikai Apunba Lup.
The protesters used placards which read as “Resettle IDPs at their homes”, “No peace, no Sangai Festival”, “We condemn brutal crackdown on IDPs by security forces”, “Right to Life cannot be compromised with Sangai Festival”, “We condemn holding of Sangai Festival” etc.
Speaking to media persons by the sideline of the protest demonstration, Amudon Akham Leikai Apunba Lup co-convenor Chirom Sarat remarked that the way the Government arrogantly ignored the repeated appeals of IDPs and CSOs not to hold Manipur Sangai Festival until the IDPs are resettled is a matter of grave concern.
He said that organising Manipur Sangai Festival under the prevailing situation is both illogical and untimely.
The Amudon Akham Leikai Apunba Lup strongly condemned the way the Government is forcibly organising the festival, and the Lup fully supports the position of COCOMI on the matter, Sarat said.
He said that they were staging the protest against holding Manipur Sangai Festival under the leadership of COCOMI.
Even though law and order have been restored in Imphal and adjoining areas, law and order are either totally absent or ineffective in many hill areas of the State, he said.
Manipur Police are unable to enforce law and order in the hill areas.
When Manipur Police personnel were physically confronted in hill areas, they did not take any action.  However, when IDPs in the valley marched peacefully to let them resettle at their homes, police personnel assaulted them in the most brutal manner, he said.
Manipur Police personnel even assaulted women in the valley. Such actions should not be repeated, he said.
COCOMI members too came to the protest and explained why COCOMI and the people of Manipur have been boycotting Manipur Sangai Festival 2025.
The Sangai Festival was put on hold in 2023 and 2024 due to the crisis in Manipur.