Manipur: Meitei body slams govt for holding Sangai Festival amid ethnic violence crisis

Imphal, Nov 25 The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of several Meitei civil society organisations, on Tuesday once again criticised the state government for organising the Sangai Tourism Festival without first resolving the ongoing ethnic crisis and ensuring the rehabilitation of displaced people.

Ahead of the 10-day Sangai Tourism Festival, inaugurated at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal on November 21, various groups of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), including the COCOMI, had called for a cease-work strike and appealed to the public to boycott the festival and hold protests.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla inaugurated the festival in a low-key manner. The COCOMI convenor, Information and Public Relations Committee Laikhuram Jayenta, in a statement, said that the state government went ahead with the inauguration by using force to suppress the protesters and people's wishes. The Meitei community body also terms two MLAs who attended the Sangai Tourism Festival inauguration ceremony on November 21 as ‘Enemies of the People for attending the inaugural event.

“People across the state had held protests on November 21, the opening day of the festival, contending that the current situation in Manipur was not apt for such festivities. Several persons reportedly sustained injuries during the agitation,” the statement said.

On November 21, at least two police officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), were injured after a clash broke out in Imphal East district over the festival, which the government is projecting as an attempt to restore normalcy in the trouble-torn state.

According to a police official, the clashes occurred when security forces prevented demonstrators, including several displaced persons, who were marching towards the venue of the festival. He had said that the protestors hurled stones at the forces, forcing the security personnel to lob several rounds of tear gas shells.

On November 24, at least three IDPs and two police personnel were injured when hundreds of IDPs living in relief camps clashed with security forces at Pukhao and near the Dolaithabi Dam in Manipur’s Imphal East district while attempting to return to their native villages.

A police official said the clashes broke out after men and women from Ekou, Dolaithabi and Yengkhuman localities, currently staying in relief camps, tried to proceed to their original homes, but security forces stopped them from moving further.

The forces resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to three IDPs and two policemen.

A spokesperson for the IDPs said that since the state government is organising the annual Sangai Tourism Festival from November 21 to 30, it is presumed that normalcy has been restored in their areas, and therefore, they should be allowed to return home instead of continuing in relief camps.

The Manipur government had appealed to all citizens, especially the IDPs and stakeholders, to extend full cooperation to ensure the success of the Sangai Festival.

In an appeal, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel had said the festival is a collective affirmation of the commitment to move forward and that full support and participation would help the state regain momentum.

He said economic revival, tourism promotion, youth empowerment and community harmony are essential for getting Manipur back on a sustained growth path.

According to the Chief Secretary, the government recognises the hardships endured by the displaced people and relief and rehabilitation remain the top priority. Goel elaborated on the allocation of funds aimed at the welfare of IDPs and the enhancement of livelihood opportunities for the affected population.

--IANS

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