{"id":5798,"date":"2025-11-20T20:33:30","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/?p=5798"},"modified":"2026-01-19T05:18:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T05:18:33","slug":"ammso-calls-sangai-festival-insensitive-as-thousands-remain-displaced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/20\/ammso-calls-sangai-festival-insensitive-as-thousands-remain-displaced\/","title":{"rendered":"AMMSO Calls Sangai Festival \u201cInsensitive\u201d as Thousands Remain Displaced"},"content":{"rendered":"

AMMSO affirms that no part of Manipur belongs exclusively to any group, urging unity over division<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

AMMSO President Imtiyas Heibokmayum<\/strong> has strongly criticised the State Government\u2019s decision to proceed with the Sangai Festival 2025, calling it \u201cdeeply insensitive<\/strong>\u201d at a time when Manipur continues to struggle with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n

In a press release issued on Thursday, the All Manipur Muslim Students\u2019 Organisation (AMMSO) said the conduct of a grand cultural celebration while thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) remain in relief camps shows a \u201ccomplete disconnect from ground realities<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCelebrating culture and tourism holds no meaning when countless citizens remain homeless, traumatised, and deprived of the fundamental rights and stability they once had<\/em>,\u201d AMMSO stated.<\/p>\n

The organisation expressed concern that more than two years after the outbreak of violence, a large number of IDPs are still living without basic dignity, security, or a clear rehabilitation roadmap. It accused the government of prioritising spectacle over people\u2019s suffering.<\/p>\n

AMMSO further alleged that the decision to proceed with the festival is aimed at projecting a \u201cfalse sense of normalcy<\/strong>\u201d while the real crisis remains unaddressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEconomic revival cannot and should not be pursued at the cost of justice, rehabilitation, and social healing<\/em>,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

The organisation noted that the government has moved ahead with festival preparations despite repeated appeals and boycotts by IDPs, civil society groups, and community organisations.<\/p>\n

Supports Boycott, Calls for Postponement<\/strong><\/p>\n

AMMSO expressed solidarity with all displaced communities and groups opposing the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe firmly support their call for boycott, peaceful protest, and the demand for postponement until the state ensures tangible, transparent, and time-bound rehabilitation measures<\/em>,\u201d the organisation added.<\/p>\n

It urged the government to refrain from using festivals as a fa\u00e7ade to mask ongoing suffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue peace cannot be celebrated \u2014 it must be rebuilt through justice, compassion, and meaningful engagement,<\/em>\u201d AMMSO said.<\/p>\n

Focus on Rehabilitation, Not Celebration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calling the Sangai Festival an \u201caffront to the pain of thousands,\u201d AMMSO said no festival, regardless of grandeur, can overshadow the suffering endured by the people of Manipur.<\/p>\n

The organisation accused the State of using the festival as a tool to \u201cconceal the reality on the ground and divert attention from the pain and displacement\u201d affecting everyday life for thousands.<\/p>\n

Demands Immediate Return of All IDPs<\/strong><\/p>\n

AMMSO urged both the State and Central Governments to prioritise the immediate and safe return of IDPs from Imphal, Bishnupur, Kakching, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh, Sugnu, Serou, Checkon, Langol, Lamphel, Konung Mamang and other affected areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll communities \u2014 whether Meitei or Kuki \u2014 must be enabled to return to their pre\u20133rd May homes without fear, discrimination, or division,<\/em>\u201d the release said.<\/p>\n

It further stressed that there must be no segregation on ethnic lines, stating that Manipur has always been a shared land of diverse communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future of Manipur lies in restoring coexistence, not deepening separation,<\/em>\u201d AMMSO emphasised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AMMSO affirms that no part of Manipur belongs exclusively to any group, urging unity over division AMMSO President Imtiyas Heibokmayum has strongly criticised the State Government\u2019s decision to proceed with … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,33],"tags":[1073,1074,1075,1076,1077,1078,1079,1080,1081,1082,1083,859,1084,1085,1086,1087],"class_list":["post-5798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inn","category-state","tag-all-manipur-muslim-students-organisation-statement","tag-ammso-calls-for-postponement-of-sangai-festival","tag-ammso-criticises-sangai-festival-2025","tag-ammso-supports-idp-protest","tag-amsso","tag-boycott-sangai-festival-manipur","tag-ethnic-segregation-concerns-in-manipur","tag-false-normalcy-in-manipur-crisis","tag-manipur-government-criticised-for-festival","tag-manipur-humanitarian-crisis-2025","tag-manipur-idps-rehabilitation-demand","tag-manipur-sangai-festival-2025","tag-manipur-violence-displaced-persons","tag-return-of-idps-in-manipur","tag-sangai-festival-insensitive-amid-idp-crisis","tag-unity-and-coexistence-in-manipur","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8354,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5798\/revisions\/8354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}