The proposed Sangai Festival 2026 has drawn opposition from the Manipuri Chanura Leishem Marup (Macha Leima), which said holding a celebration while Manipur continues to grapple with prolonged ethnic violence and mass displacement would disregard the suffering of thousands of affected people.
In a statement, Macha Leima president W. Amusana said thousands of people displaced by the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, remained unable to return to their homes and continued to endure hardship in relief camps, even after more than three years of conflict.
Questioning the government’s priorities, Amusana said organising a major festival without resolving the crisis confronting the people would be difficult to reconcile with the ground reality. She maintained that restoring peace, ensuring security and facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) must take precedence over festivities.
She also pointed to continuing insecurity on national highways, alleging that Meiteis remained unable to travel freely along these routes. Referring to strained relations between Kuki and Naga communities in the hill districts, she questioned claims that normalcy had returned to the state.
The Macha Leima president said the situation could not be considered normal while displaced families remained separated from their homes and communities and people continued to face restrictions and insecurity in their daily lives.
“What Manipur needs now is not a festival, but a concrete resolution to the ongoing crisis,” was the central message of her statement, which called for sustained efforts to restore peace and enable displaced people to rebuild their lives with dignity and security.