Five valley-based militant groups of Manipur have warned organisations and individuals who participated in the recently-concluded 10-day-long Sangai Festival.
The outfits on Wednesday issued a joint statement saying that they have decided to punish those who participated in or supported the festival.
The outfits — Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), PREPAK (Progressive), and the United National Liberation Front (Koireng) — saw the participation as a “betrayal” to the hardships faced by the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Sangai Festival, a tourism event of the Manipur government, was held after a gap of two years because of the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos.
The groups have announced a year-long ban on four Sumang Lella troupes, which stages traditional play in open air, from November 25 for participating in the festival.
The festival, which started from November 21, recorded its lowest footfall because of daily protests by the IDPs living in relief camps.
For others who participated, including artistes and those who put up stalls, the five outfits have set a December 10 deadline for them tender a public apology.