Guwahati : Displaced families living in relief camps across Manipur’s valley districts on Thursday held a coordinated mass sit-in protest, denouncing the state government’s decision to go ahead with the Sangai Festival even as thousands remain uprooted by the ongoing conflict.

Gathering at multiple relief camps, demonstrators expressed anger and anguish over what they described as the administration’s misplaced priorities. The protest comes a day before the festival is scheduled to begin. The state remains under President’s Rule.

A woman residing at the Lamboikhongnang Khong Relief Camp said it was “deeply painful” to watch the government channel resources into celebrations while displaced citizens continue to struggle inside temporary shelters with no clarity on rehabilitation.

“We are still living without proper resettlement and without the freedom to move safely. Why is the government preparing for festivities when our lives are still in crisis?” she asked. “Are we not citizens of Manipur?”

She appealed to the public to boycott the event as a show of solidarity, arguing that people’s collective voice could pressure authorities to prioritise rehabilitation.

“The government may have power, but people have a stronger voice. The Sangai Festival should only be celebrated when peace and normalcy truly return,” she said.

Protestors held placards with messages such as “Free Movement First, Then Sangai Festival”, “We Boycott Sangai Festival”, and “First Resettlement, Then Celebration”, urging immediate attention to long-pending issues of security, mobility, and rehabilitation.

The Sangai Festival, Manipur’s flagship tourism event, is set to run from November 21 to 30. This year marks its return after a two-year interruption caused by the prolonged conflict. However, displaced families say the resumption of the festival only highlights how disconnected official decision-making has become from their ground realities.