Protesters Try to Halt Manipur Winter Festival; Face-Off With Police Ensues

Tension broke out in Imphal on Thursday after police fired tear gas shells to stop protesters from entering the Sangai Festival 2025 venue.

Members of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) gathered outside Hapta Kangjeibung, where the annual festival is scheduled to take place, and attempted to march into the premises.

The protesters shouted slogans including “We boycott Sangai Festival” and “Displaced lives matter,” demanding that the government address the concerns of internally displaced people before hosting large public events.

Security forces deployed at the site blocked the crowd from breaching the entrance and used tear gas to disperse them, preventing any disruption to the preparations under way.

Manipur, which has been under President’s Rule since February, is once again seeing friction between the Governor-led administration and civil society groups. Several organisations have called for a statewide shutdown on November 21 to oppose the festival, arguing that the event attempts to portray normalcy while thousands remain displaced.

The government has appealed to the public to support the Sangai Festival, which is organised annually by the tourism department from November 21 to 30 to promote culture and tourism in the state.