Police on Thursday resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to foil attempts by protesters to storm the main venue of the Sangai Festival in Imphal East district, escalating tensions on the eve of the government’s flagship tourism event, being held after a two-year gap due to the ongoing strife.

The protest march, taken out around 1.30pm against the hosting of the event amid continuing unrest, was led by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), an influential valley-based organisation, and included internally displaced persons (IDPs) and members of the general public. IDPs had earlier staged sit-ins across relief camps in the valley, opposing the holding of the festival instead of prioritising their resettlement.

There were repeated scuffles and jostling between protesters and police personnel deployed to prevent the crowd from reaching the venue at Hapta Kanjeibung from two approaches. According to a local resident, security forces used force, including lathi-charge, after protesters removed barricades and surged forward in an attempt to reach the venue, barely 500 metres away. Tear gas shells were also fired to disperse the crowd.

Protesters carried placards calling the festival “inappropriate at this time” and raised slogans such as “We boycott Sangai Festival” and “Displaced lives matter.” A general strike called by a banned rebel outfit on Wednesday had already disrupted life across Imphal valley in opposition to the festival.

Thursday’s protest and police action are expected to cast a shadow over the 10-day festival beginning Friday. In a statement issued in the evening, the Cocomi urged the public to join a mass sit-in demonstration on Friday and announced two resolutions: “We will not take part in Sangai Festival” and “Restore our fundamental rights before Sangai Festival.” The declaration reflects a hardening of the Cocomi's stand against what it calls an “anti-people” event.

The statement appealed to the people of Manipur “to stand united and send a clear, collective message that we are not a society that will trade our rights, dignity and security for a tourism festival.”

Khuraijam Athouba, convenor of the Cocomi, said the governor-led administration under President’s rule had undermined public sentiment. “Our priority is not the Sangai Festival. Our priority is restoration of fundamental rights and ensuring the safe return of IDPs to their homes,” he said.

The ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos, which erupted on May 3, 2023, has displaced around 60,000 people and left over 260 dead. Members of both communities still cannot safely enter each other’s areas despite the heavy deployment of security forces.

The protest was held amid RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s two-day visit to the state beginning Thursday — his first since the conflict broke out.

The Cocomi condemned what it described as the “brutal and unprovoked actions of the security forces against peaceful protesters,” claiming three people were injured. “The assault on demonstrators, including women and displaced persons who have already suffered deeply due to the ongoing crisis, is unacceptable in a democratic society,” the committee said.

It further criticised the governor-led administration for “pushing forward an anti-people Sangai Festival 2025 without the consent, cooperation or confidence of the people.” At a time when thousands remain displaced and normalcy has yet to return, “the state’s insistence on an extravagant festival is insensitive, misplaced and against the wishes of the people,” it said.

Hours before the protest, the government held a curtain-raiser event for the festival in Bishnupur district, signalling its intention to proceed despite rising opposition.