Student bodies endorses COCOMI to boycott Manipur Sangai Festival

Newmai News Network

 IMPHAL | November 22

 

Seven student bodies based in Manipur on Friday announced endorsing Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) in boycotting the Manipur Sangai Festival which is due to commence from November 24.

 

COCOMI had already announced to boycott the annual tourism festival hosted by Manipur government every year. Even though it was a 10-day event in the previous years, the state government has decided to organise the festival for seven days for this year, from November 24 to 30.

 

In solidarity to COCOMI’s "alert campaign" in connection with the Naga peace talks, the seven student bodies – AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, AIMS, SUK and AMSO – announced their boycott calls to the annual tourism festival.

 

Addressing a press conference, leaders of the seven student bodies said that at this "crucial juncture of the state in which uncertainty prevails regarding the state’s territorial integrity, people have no reason to extend support to the government in organising the festival". They appealed all sections of people of the state not to take part in any event of the festival. They also urged transporters and people of other walks of life to support the boycott call given by the student bodies and COCOMI.

 

COCOMI has been pressing the state government to differ or cancel this year’s edition of Sangai Festival and failure to heed to their demand, the Committee had announced boycott of the festival.