Internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking refuge at Ideal College, Akampat in Imphal East held a silent sit-in protest today, expressing strong resentment over the State Government’s decision to proceed with the Sangai Festival 2025.

The protestors said the government’s move to go ahead with the festival, despite repeated appeals for its cancellation, was deeply insensitive to the ongoing plight of thousands of displaced families. They demanded a complete boycott of the festival and urged the authorities to prioritise the resettlement and rehabilitation of IDP inmates before organising such large-scale events in the future.

Meanwhile, the curtain-raiser of the Sangai Festival 2025 was held today at Keibul Makha Leikai in Bishnupur district. Strict security measures have been put in place across major festival venues as preparations intensify for the upcoming annual tourism event.