Emoinu Fish Festival cancelled as people protest

Imphal: Manipur government has cancelled Emoinu Fish Festival to be organised in connection with worshipping of Emoinu that falls on Monday.

Structures set up for the 2nd Emoinu Fish Festival at Hapta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal East were forced to pull down on Saturday as irate women took to the venue to protest against the fish festival.

The women protested against organising the fish festival amidst the escalating violence that has gripped Manipur for almost eight months.

Scheduled to take place on Monday, the state-level festival, organised by the state Fisheries department, faced an abrupt cancellation following the demonstration.

Following the protest, the Directorate of Fisheries issued an official order to cancel the fish festival ‘due to the prevailing law and order situation’.

The protestors had voiced their concerns over the government’s decision to proceed with the fish festival amidst the escalating violence in the state.

They decried the insensitivity of authorities, citing the daily toll of innocent lives at the hands of Kuki militants.

“The public has sleepless nights, the appetite for fish has waned. If the government insists on such festivities, let the MLAs indulge in fish meals within the confines of their quarters with their families,” a protestor said.

She questioned the appropriateness of celebrating a fish festival while grieving families contend with the loss of loved ones to the ongoing conflict.