Attempts by internally displaced persons (IDPs) from two relief camps in Bishnupur to return home in adjoining Churachandpur district — while citing the hosting of the Sangai Festival “as proof” of the “improved security situation” in strife-hit Manipur — have sparked tension along the inter-district border.
The Churachandpur-based Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a key organisation representing the community, expressed concern on Saturday over the escalating tension triggered by protests by Meitei IDPs against the hosting of the festival, which sources said has witnessed “very, very low public participation” for the second consecutive day. Manipur is currently under President’s rule, with the administrative vacuum deepening anxieties further.
IDPs in the Meitei-majority Imphal valley have been opposing the government’s annual tourism and cultural event until they are resettled. When the state administration inaugurated the 10-day festival on Friday to “showcase” that everything is normal in strife-hit Manipur — despite protests by IDPs and strong objections from the Cocomi — some IDPs reportedly attempted to return home, citing the “improved” security situation.
Attempts to go back to Kuki-Zo-majority Churachandpur were made by IDPs from Phugakchao Ikhai on Friday night and from nearby Kwakta on Saturday. Both are in Meitei-majority Bishnupur district and lie close to the sensitive buffer stretch.
Security forces struggled to contain the situation, using tear gas shells on Friday to stop IDPs from Phugakchao from entering Churachandpur. They also faced stiff resistance while trying to prevent those from Kwakta on Saturday, sources said.
Since the Meitei–Kuki-Zo conflict erupted on May 3, 2023 — leaving over 260 dead and around 60,000 displaced — Kuki-Zo-majority areas have remained out of bounds for Meiteis, and Meitei-majority areas inaccessible to Kuki-Zos due to security reasons. Tension is particularly high along the Bishnupur–Churachandpur border — the flashpoint zone where the conflict first began and rapidly escalated.
KZC concern
The Kuki-Zo Council said on Saturday that “Meitei IDPs protesting the Sangai Festival attempted to forcefully move toward Churachandpur”.
“Their coordinated push onto the highway — despite clear restrictions — prompted central forces to use tear gas and smoke shells to prevent a dangerous breach of the buffer line,” it said.
Calling it a “recurring pattern”, the KZC alleged certain Meitei groups were resorting to “provocation and intimidation”. It said the incident “again highlights a stark reality: Manipur cannot return to normalcy when one community breaks peace and the other is forced to live in constant defensive vigilance”. It urged the Centre to provide “constitutional protection through the creation of a Union Territory for the Kuki-Zo people” to guarantee long-term safety.
Protest impact
While the border remains tense, IDP protests in Imphal East district — backed by the Cocomi — on Thursday and Friday have directly affected public participation in the Sangai Festival.
Sources said the public have largely stayed away from the main venue, which teemed with crowds when the festival was last held two years ago. Although about 100 of the 635 stalls are open, footfall is negligible and ticket counters that saw long queues in 2022 remain empty. Significantly, only two valley MLAs attended the inaugural ceremony, signalling the prevailing public sentiment and disquiet.
“There are more security personnel than visitors around the venue,” an Imphal resident said. “Given the firm stand of protestors when thousands of IDPs are still in camps and movement on highways remains restricted, attempts to showcase normality through the festival are proving counter-productive.”
Inaugurating the festival at Hapta Kangjeibung on Friday, Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla acknowledged the plight of IDPs and stressed that “their wellbeing remains a paramount state responsibility” — a remark welcomed by many observers monitoring the situation.