COCOMI supports IDPs’ stand; Says no to Sangai Festival until peace is restored

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has extended its full support to the call of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to boycott the upcoming Sangai Festival, asserting that it is inappropriate for the government to organise the event when Manipur continues to grapple with an unresolved crisis for over two and a half years.
Addressing media persons at the COCOMI office in Lamphel today, Laikhuram Jayenta, Convenor of the IPR Committee, COCOMI, said that the ongoing conflict has displaced thousands of people, shattered livelihoods, and destroyed trust among communities — yet the government appears eager to showcase a false image of normalcy through festivals.
“It is not right to blur the harsh reality and show the world that peace has returned to Manipur when thousands of our people are still living in relief camps,” Jayenta said. “The government cannot fool the world by painting a rosy picture of peace when the wounds of the people remain fresh.”
He recalled that the government had made repeated assurances to facilitate the return of IDPs to their respective homes in a phased manner, with earlier statements indicating that displaced persons would be resettled by December this year. However, he said, no concrete action or visible progress has been seen on the ground.
“The people living in relief camps continue to suffer without certainty about their future. Until peace and normalcy are truly restored, it is morally wrong to host a grand tourism festival,” he added.
Jayenta further stated that while the Sangai Festival is an important platform to promote Manipur’s rich cultural heritage and tourism potential, holding it amidst the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis would only alienate the victims who continue to bear the brunt of violence and displacement.
COCOMI reiterated its appeal to the state government to prioritise restoration of peace, rehabilitation of IDPs, and rebuilding of trust among communities before engaging in events that attempt to mask the grim reality.
“The government must first heal the state before celebrating it,” Jayenta asserted, calling for genuine steps toward peace rather than symbolic gestures of festivity.