Manipur governor inaugurates Sangai Festival amid widespread protests
Sparse attendance marks Sangai Festival inauguration as IDPs & locals demand resettlement before tourism celebrations resume
Manipur Guv Ajay Kumar Bhalla with artistes during the inaugural function of the Sangai Festival (Photo: AT)
Imphal, Nov 22: Amid the ongoing public protest, especially by internally displaced persons (IDPs), Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla inaugurated the 10-day Sangai Festival at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal East district on Friday.
Speaking after a programme staged by artistes of the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, the Governor appealed to the public to participate in the festival as “it is a display of arts and culture, which needs to be appreciated.” He said the Government is projecting the Sangai Festival for the State’s future economy.
Highlighting some of the initiatives, including construction of prefabricated houses, in the ethnic crisis-ridden State, the Governor said that steps were taken before imposition of the President’s Rule.
Stating that the Government has identified 135 tourist sites in the State, the Governor also referred to the Cherry Blossom Festival at Mao and the international polo tournament here.
Unlike the previous editions, the attendance of the public on the opening day of the Sangai Festival was almost negligible. Only officials of government departments and security personnel were seen in and around the open air theatre where the opening ceremony of the festival took place.
At the same time, the Hapta Kangjeibung ground where more than 100 festival stalls were stationed, also wore a desolate look on the inaugural day of the festival.
Earlier in the inaugural day of the festival, protesters engaged in a clash with security personnel at Lamlong area. Local residents, mostly womenfolk of various localities in and around Imphal, staged a sit-in demonstration against the Sangai Festival.
The protesters, including IDPs, demanded that before holding any tourism festival, the authorities should first resolve the conflict in the State and arrange for the resettlement of the people who have been internally displaced due to the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023.
The Sangai Festival – the annual event organised by the State Government to promote tourism, which has been suspended for two years because of the unrest, is scheduled from November 21 to 30.