Thousands of people staged a “sound protest” across Manipur’s five valley districts on Friday evening, venting anger over continued killings, the prolonged ethnic conflict and the alleged failure of the government to restore normalcy in the state.
In several localities of Imphal, protesters banged utensils, struck electric poles with hammers and honked vehicle horns between 7.30 pm and 8 pm, seeking to draw attention to their grievances and press for the resolution of the conflict and fulfilment of their demands. Some demonstrators also took drums to the streets and beat them as part of the demonstration.
One protester said the noise was meant to draw leaders’ attention to their suffering, alleging that their repeated appeals and demands had been ignored, which prompted people to respond to the call for the protest.
The call had been issued by the Federation of Haomee, a civil society organisation, which urged people to make noise during the half-hour window to express frustration over the continuing ethnic conflict and the government’s alleged failure to restore peace in Manipur.
As the protest gathered momentum, demonstrators marched towards Kangla, the historic political and cultural centre of the erstwhile Manipur kingdom, located a few metres from Lok Bhavan and the chief minister’s secretariat. Security personnel intercepted several groups of protesters at Palace Compound, Moirangkhom and Keisampat junctions to prevent them from proceeding further.
Despite the barricading, hundreds of demonstrators managed to reach the entrance of Kangla but were barred from entering the fort complex.
Police later fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse protesters who had gathered near Lok Bhavan, and barricades were erected in the area after 8 pm. Officials said no injuries or incidents of violence were reported during the demonstration.
The protest underscores the deepening public frustration in the valley districts over the ethnic conflict that has gripped Manipur, with residents increasingly pressing the government to act on their demands and restore peace to the strife-torn state.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/manipur/manipur-witnesses-sound-protest-over-continued-violence-govts-failure-to-restore-normalcy/68724/
Category: Manipur,Federation of Haomee,sound protest
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Publish Date: 2026-10-24 09:16:00
