Protesters in Manipur locked the offices of Geological Survey of India and Election Commission over the concealing of the state's name from a government bus with journalists on board, which was heading to the Shirui Lily festival.
(Agitators form a human chain during a protest over alleged removal of 'Manipur' signage from a state government bus)
Tension in Manipur escalated sharply on Tuesday, May 27th.
The protestors locked the Geological Survey of India office and the Chief Electoral Office at Lamphelpat in Imphal West.
Reportedly even signboards bearing "Government of India" were smeared with mud.
This is certainly a visible act of defiance against the Centre when the state is under President's Rule.
Members of the student wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) locked central government offices and defaced signboards in the valley district, as part of a statewide agitation.
Cocomi stands for the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity and is a coalition of Meitei-based organisations.
The organisation declared a statewide recently including rallies, sit-ins, torch processions and a civil disobedience campaign targeting the President’s Rule.
President's Rule was imposed in the state on February 13 after Chief Minister N Biren Singh had resigned.
The agitation has actually reignitesd long-standing fears among the Meitei community about Manipur's territorial integrity, especially amid the Kuki-Zo community’s call for a separate Union Territory since the ethnic conflict began on May 3, 2023.
The organisation announced a public boycott of Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for failing to apologise over the alleged removal of the word “Manipur” from a state-run bus.
The incident occurred on May 20, when an MST (Manipur State Transport) bus ferrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily Festival was stopped at Gwaltabi, Imphal East.
Security forces, including personnel from a central force, reportedly asked officials onboard to conceal the word “Manipur” on the bus, sparking outrage.
The forces reportedly asked that the word 'Manipur' be 'hidden or removed' from the vehicle's signage before allowing the media team to proceed to cover the inaugural function of the fifth Shirui Lily Festival.
Large-scale demonstrations, led primarily by women, erupted across valley districts, including Imphal East and West.
In Khurai, Imphal East, women protestors marched to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, disrupting operations and demanding an official apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
Similar scenes played out in Imphal West, where human chains were formed and placards with slogans such as "Self-determination is our birthright" were displayed.
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