Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in various relief centres across Thoubal district have joined ongoing protests opposing the Sangai Festival, scheduled to be held from November 21 to 30. The IDPs are demanding immediate resettlement and have declared a boycott of the state government–organised festival.
IDPs currently residing at Wangjing Kodompokpi Sports Complex, Lamding Higher Secondary School, and Rice Research Station Khangabok staged sit-in protests at the gates of their respective relief centres on Thursday. Protesters held placards bearing slogans such as “We Boycott Sangai Festival,” “First Resettlement, Next Sangai Festival,” and “Free Movement First, Next Sangai Festival,” urging the government to prioritise their rehabilitation.
The agitation has gained support from several civil society organisations and women’s groups under Salai Kanba Lup Thoubal, who appealed to authorities to reconsider holding the festival amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Protesters have accused the government of insensitivity, alleging that it is prioritising the festival over the welfare and resettlement of people displaced by the conflict.
