Protesters Try To Stop Manipur's Winter Festival, Clash With Cops

Tension erupted in Manipur's capital Imphal on Thursday after police fired tear gas shells at protesters who tried to storm the Sangai Festival 2025. A group of people mobilised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) were protesting at the main venue to boycott the state government-backed event.

The protesters, who attempted to storm the festival site at Hapta Kangjeibung, shouted slogans such as "We boycott Sangai Festival" and "Displaced lives matter."

Following this, security personnel intervened swiftly to prevent the crowd from breaching the venue, using tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and foil their attempt to enter the festival grounds.

The state of Manipur, which has been under President's Rule since February this year, is witnessing yet another row between the Governor A.K. Bhalla–led administration and civil society groups over the state's signature festival. The Sangai Festival is slated to start from November 21.

A prominent Meitei civil society body has urged the people of Manipur to protest on November 21 against the upcoming Sangai Festival, an event seen as a fresh attempt to restore normalcy in the trouble-torn state. A dawn-to-dusk bandh is being observed in the valley region today.

Civil society groups have been urging the public to support the call by Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to boycott the festival.

Meanwhile, the government, led by the Governor, has appealed to people to support the event.

The Sangai Festival, an annual cultural event, is organised by the Manipur tourism department from November 21 to 30 to promote tourism in the state.