Manipur’s banned outfits warned against disrupting peace

A day after a coalition of five armed groups threatened criminal action against individuals participating in the recently concluded Sangai Festival in Imphal, the Manipur government has warned individuals and banned organizations with stringent action if they try to disturb the peace and intimidate law-abiding citizens.

Underlining that any attempt to intimidate or endanger the safety and security of any citizen is an act against the state and its people, the State government said no individual, group or organization, proscribed or otherwise, has the authority to issue ordinances, impose penalties or restrict lawful cultural, economic or artistic activities in Manipur.

“Any person or entity found making such threats or attempting to disrupt peaceful coexistence will be prosecuted strictly in accordance with the law, without exception,” Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said on Thursday, December 4, 2025. he said.

The State government appealed to the people to unite against illegal elements and expand cooperation to maintain peace, harmony and public order to return the State to the path of growth and development.

“The government appeals to the public to immediately report any incident of threat, extortion, coercion or suspicious activity to the nearest police station. Immediate action will be taken against all credible reports against those threatening people’s lives and property,” Mr. Goel said.

The state government had earlier set up an anti-extortion cell under the Home Ministry as well as a toll-free number to report cases. The government had assured that the identity of the informant would be kept secret.

Public apology requested

On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, leaders of five outlawed organizations demanded a public apology from individuals and organizations for their participation in the Sangai Festival in November. They threatened participants, including cultural groups, with punishment if they did not apologize before December 10.

The banned groups are the Kangleipak ​​Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, Kangleipak ​​People’s Revolutionary Party, PREPAK (Progressive) and the United National Liberation Front led by Koireng. These outfits had thrown their weight behind internally displaced persons (IDPs) who boycotted the Sangai Festival to protest the government’s failure to rehabilitate them.

The majority of the approximately 62,000 people displaced by the ethnic conflict that broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023 remain in relief camps in the Imphal Valley. They want to return to their original homes in the hills dominated by Kuki.

More than 260 people lost their lives in the clashes.

Internally displaced persons and armed groups said the Manipur government under the Presidential rule showed insensitivity by organizing the Sangai Festival at a time when thousands of people were living in squalor but were yet to recover from the impact of violent conflict.