Thousands of people across Manipur’s five valley districts took to the streets on Friday evening, staging coordinated sound protests and marches against continued killings, the prolonged ethnic conflict, and the government’s failure to restore normalcy.
Kangla Fort, the historic seat of political and cultural authority of the erstwhile kingdom of Manipur, emerged as the principal focal point of the mobilisation. Thousands gathered inside the complex and marched through its premises, raising slogans against the government. Some clanged utensils and beat drums, while others continuously sounded vehicle horns, turning the historic site into a centre of protest. The protest was not confined to Kangla. Residents took out marches and participated in coordinated sound demonstrations across localities in all five valley districts. The synchronised action transformed neighbourhoods into centres of public dissent, with the din of utensils, drums, horns, and slogans continuing for the duration of the protest. The large turnout, simultaneous marches across the valley, and the tense scenes near Kangla and Raj Bhavan underscored the intensity of public frustration.
Responding to a call by the Federation of Haomee, people across the valley joined the protest between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm, clanging utensils, beating drums, sounding vehicle horns and sirens, striking electric poles with hammers, and shouting slogans against the government. For nearly 30 minutes, neighbourhoods across the valley reverberated with deafening sounds as residents expressed their anger over the continuing violence and the prolonged failure to resolve the crisis. The protest came amid continuing concerns over violence and the absence of a lasting political settlement in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic conflict since May 2023.
