A 48-hour strike called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi) in protest against an army unit’s alleged action to conceal the “Manipur State Transport” signage on a state-run bus disrupted life across Imphal Valley on Thursday.
Shops, schools, government offices and public transport services remained shut in the five Meitei-majority districts — Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Bishnupur and Thoubal.
Protesters staged road blockades, burned tyres and staged sit-ins, though the protest remained peaceful. Security was tightened in sensitive areas. Vehicles heading to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily Festival were allowed to operate.
In Bishnupur district, women protestors pasted stickers reading “Manipur and Kangleipak” on vehicles of central forces in a symbolic tit-for-tat act. Kangleipak is the old name of Manipur.
The controversy began on Tuesday when personnel of the army’s Mahar Regiment allegedly “instructed” government staff accompanying journalists en route to the Shirui festival to conceal the “Manipur State Transport” signage on the bus at Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East. The signage was subsequently covered with white paper.
The incident sparked outrage among Meitei civil society groups and was seen as an affront to the state’s identity, reigniting anxieties over Manipur’s territorial integrity amid calls from the Kuki-Zo community for a separate Union Territory since the ethnic conflict began on May 3, 2023.
The Cocomi demanded an apology from governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the resignation of the state’s DGP, chief secretary and security adviser. “This incident is a direct assault on our state’s pride, dignity, and existence,” a Cocomi spokesperson said.
Late Wednesday, governor Bhalla ordered a two-member inquiry committee to probe the matter. The panel, comprising commissioner M. Ashok Kumar and secretary Th. Kirankumar Singh, has been asked to submit its findings within 15 days.
Manipur is currently under President’s Rule.
“The incident has triggered fresh tension and anger at a time when the situation had started to stabilise. We hope the probe will reveal the truth and prevent further provocation,” an Imphal resident told The Telegraph.
The BJP’s Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra attempted to calm tensions through a video posted on X, calling the event an “avoidable misunderstanding” and reiterating that the state’s territorial integrity was “non-negotiable”.
An army official, when contacted, declined to comment in detail, saying: “Please wait for the inquiry report to come out.”