Imphal, Manipur: The 12th Sangai Festival – Manipur’s premier cultural tourism event opened on November 21, 2025, after a two-year break. The ten-day festival, inaugurated by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT), showcases traditional arts, handloom, indigenous sports, local cuisine, and performances across multiple venues. The festival is named after the endangered Sangai deer, found only in Keibul Lamjao National Park.

This year’s celebrations, however, have been overshadowed by protests. Displaced families, civil society groups, and the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) called for a boycott, arguing that holding a large festival is insensitive when thousands remain displaced from recent ethnic violence.

On November 20, demonstrators attempted to enter the festival venue in Hapta Kangjeibung, prompting police to use tear gas. Separate sit-ins and marches, including at Tera Bazar, saw protesters raise slogans such as “First resettlement, then festival.”

Despite the backlash, the government proceeded, calling the festival a symbol of “resilience and economic revival” and an opportunity for artisans and local businesses. Attendance on the first day was noticeably lower, with several residents expressing mixed emotions – pride in cultural identity, but concern for displaced communities.

Security has been tightened after the arrest of three cadres of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Force), accused of planning an attack on the venue.

The 2025 Sangai Festival now stands at a delicate crossroads – celebration and cultural pride on one side, unresolved humanitarian pain on the other. Whether it becomes a step toward unity or remains a point of contention will unfold in the days ahead.

• Dipanjana D