Demonstrations spread to multiple relief camps and localities, with IDPs accusing the government of prioritising optics over humanitarian rehabilitation.
BY PC Bureau
November 20, 2025 — What began as a boycott call has erupted into one of the largest coordinated protest waves Manipur has witnessed since last year’s ethnic violence. Thousands of COCOMI volunteers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) poured into the streets across Imphal and multiple valley districts on Thursday, furious over the government’s decision to proceed with the Sangai Festival while more than 60,000 displaced people continue to live in relief camps over two years after the May 3, 2023 clashes.
The anger culminated in violent confrontations at Hapta Kangjeibung — the festival’s main venue — where protesters tried to storm the gates, forcing security forces to deploy tear gas and baton charges to push them back.
The most intense confrontation unfolded at the Hatta Kangjeibung Gate in Imphal East around 2:30 pm. Hundreds of demonstrators, led by COCOMI volunteers and joined by IDPs from Akampat, Sawombung and Sentinels relief centres, marched toward the entrance shouting slogans and demanding the immediate resettlement of displaced families.
Protest in Imphal against holding of 10 days long Sangai Festival pic.twitter.com/JYgPTHEeHp
— Bikash Singh (@bikash_ET) November 20, 2025
Tensions escalated rapidly when protesters hurled water bottles at security personnel and attempted to breach the barricades. Security forces responded with tear gas shelling and a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Manipur Police briefly detained at least 12 protesters, all of whom were released later in the evening. No major injuries were reported.
READ: Bhagwat to Reach Out to Both Tribal, Meitei Leaders in Manipur
Protests Spread Across Valley Districts
The Hatta clash was only the epicentre of a much larger mobilisation. Parallel demonstrations broke out across at least a dozen locations, including Samunbung Relief Camp, Sanjiva Relief Camp, Lamboikhongnangkhong in Uripok, Lanol in Imphal West, Akampat Relief Camp, Standard College in Imphal East, as well as several localities in Moirang, Kwakta and Kumbi in Bishnupur district.
The IDPs carried placards demanding dignified resettlement before any attempt to project “normalcy” through tourism festivals.
“We are barely surviving in relief camps. It’s heartbreaking to see our issues slowly being sidelined,” said Shanta Singh, an IDP.
COCOMI reiterated that hosting a tourism extravaganza while thousands remain displaced is “insensitive and unacceptable.”
The protests erupted a day after a 24-hour shutdown called by the proscribed KCP (MC)-Progressive had shuttered markets across Imphal, including Khwairamband Keithel and Paona Bazar, reflecting growing public unease ahead of the festival.
COCOMI’s statewide boycott call, issued on November 14, had already warned of strong public resistance unless the government addressed the humanitarian crisis faced by IDPs.
Government Pushes Ahead With Festival
The Sangai Festival — billed as Manipur’s biggest tourism and cultural showcase — is scheduled from November 21 to 30 at Hapta Kangjeibung and Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre. The government argues that the festival will revive tourism and the battered economy after two years of turmoil.
On November 18, Chief Secretary Punnet Goyal appealed to citizens to support the event, saying it would “promote hope and economic growth.”
But Thursday’s protests revealed deep resentment across the valley, where thousands of displaced Meitei families continue to depend on relief camps for food, shelter and safety.
Security has been fortified around all festival venues with central forces, bomb detection squads, sniffer dogs and multiple checkpoints. Heavily armed personnel remain stationed across Imphal East and West as tensions continue to simmer.
Coincides With Bhagwat’s Visit
The protests coincided with RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat’s arrival in Imphal for a three-day private visit linked to the RSS centenary year. While no public events are scheduled during his stay, the timing added an unusual layer of security sensitivity to the day’s developments.
The protests carried a blunt message: the displaced will not be ignored.
With a humanitarian crisis unresolved and normalcy still a distant dream, the Sangai Festival — intended as a symbol of recovery — has instead become a rallying point for anger, grief and political resistance in a deeply fractured Manipur.
