'Support boycott of Sangai Fest'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 14 2025: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has underscored the importance of boycotting Manipur Sangai Festival 2025 enmasse.

Organising Sangai Festival in the face of vehement opposition and the hardships being endured by IDPs and all sections of the society is a big lesson for every citizen.

"If we miss this lesson, fail to uphold our dignity and lose ourselves in the momentary but alluring pleasure, our society will fall to the nadir", the COCOMI warned in a statement.

Saying that more than 15 lakh people, particularly the Meiteis are being denied the right to freedom of movement for the past two years and a half, and the Government has failed miserably to protect the right to life and properties, the COCOMI questioned how reasonable is the Government's decision to hold Sangai Festival in the name of promoting tourism.

"We are living like refugees or prisoners of war in our own land.

How will other Nations see us if we join the Sangai Festival under the prevailing situation?", it asked.

Contrary to the expectation that it will work sincerely to restore the fundamental rights and address the hardships of the people, the PR administration has been behaving quite arrogantly and trying to normalize the existing situation where IDPs are unable to go back to their homes, it said.

"We want nothing else other than identification of immigrants and restoration of normal life to the people who are being kept under siege", the COCOMI said.

If Manipur must be saved, all the people need to leave aside their personal interest but work in the collective interest.

"If our people work in personal interest by sacrificing the collective interest, we will become slaves", it said.

As such, if any organisation, agency, enterprise or individual joins the Sangai Festival by overlooking how the Government has been insulting the people, there is no reason not to call them black sheep, it said.

The COCOMI sees the initiative of the Seven Sister Foundation to invite an international band and hold a concert at Khuman Lampak as a part of the Sangai Festival as anti-people.

It would be desirable for the Seven Sister Foundation to retract their step before it is too late.

COCOMI and the people will take a decision not to cooperate with those organisations, forums, councils and institutions including those related to art and culture which are preparing to take part in Sangai Festival when they face difficulties in the future.

There is no reason not to see them as black sheep who are encouraging the Government of India's policy of aggression against the Meitei community, it said.

"The attempt to make us sing, dance and engage in commerce when we are being denied the fundamental right to life smacks of sheer arrogance", the COCOMI said.

It questioned the validity of the Government's claim that it is working to promote tourism when armed narco-terrorists have been keeping a large section of the people under siege.

It asked how can people indulge in dance, music and other merrymaking programmes when the IDPs are facing a very grim future.

People must ask the Government's priority, whether it is restoration of peace and security with free movement and resettlement or tourism festival, the COCOMI said.

It went on to ask how the tourism industry can flourish when there is neither peace nor security in the land.

Until and unless the Government gives convincing replies to these questions, the people must stay away from activities taken up by the Government which are aimed at covering up the people's suffering.

This is the position of COCOMI, it added.

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