Clashes Erupt as Displaced Protest Return to Homes Amid Sangai Festival

Internally displaced people clashed with security forces in Imphal East, seeking to return home amid the Sangai festival. IDPs argue for their right to return, citing restored normalcy. Security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters, highlighting ongoing ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur.

Internally displaced people clashed with security forces in Imphal East, Manipur, as they attempted to return to their homes. The tension erupted near Pukhao and Dolaithabi Dam, where protesters were blocked by security forces while attempting to march back to their native villages.

The use of tear gas to disperse the protesters underscores the charged atmosphere as IDPs argue that the ongoing Sangai festival indicates restored normalcy in the state. Local community members, primarily farmers, expressed frustration over their disrupted livelihoods and called for the government to allow their return.

Since May 2023, ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has resulted in more than 260 deaths and thousands of people being displaced. The areas, like Ekou, Dolaithabi, and Yengkhuman, are still reeling from the impact, bringing focus on the ongoing ethnic tensions affecting Manipur.