Police stop journalists during their rally from the Manipur Press Club to Raj Bhavan to protest alleged harassment by central security forces during coverage of the Shirui Lily Festival 2025, in Imphal on May 20, 2025
| Photo Credit: PTI

GUWAHATI

The Manipur government on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) ordered a probe into Tuesday’s (May 20, 2025) incident in which armed forces personnel allegedly made a team of journalists and information officials cover ‘Manipur State Transport’ displayed on a bus they were travelling in.

The journalists and officials were on their way to covering the State Tourism Department-organised Shirui Lily Festival in the Ukhrul district, about 80 km from the capital, Imphal. The incident triggered anger in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley, where an influential NGO called a 48-hour general strike and demanded the resignation of Manipur’s Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Chief Secretary P.K. Singh, and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.

The order issued by the Chief Secretary read, “The Governor of Manipur is pleased to constitute an inquiry committee to examine the facts and circumstances around the (bus) incident…”

The inquiry will be conducted by a two-member committee, comprising Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar and Secretary (Information Technology) Th. Kirankumar Singh. The panel has been asked to look into lapses, if any, suggest measures to prevent the recurrence of such a situation, and submit its report within 15 days.

Protesting the incident, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced the 48-hour shutdown from Wednesday (May 21, 2025) midnight. The group primarily represents the Meitei community.

Apart from the resignation of the three top officers at the helm of affairs in Manipur, the COCOMI demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. It held them responsible for the incident, which “undermined the identity of Manipur, its name, pride and respect.”

The COCOMI also accused them of surrendering the pride, dignity, and legitimacy of the State to the “narco-terrorist groups which have been openly threatening the people of Manipur.” It pointed out that no action was taken against a Kuki student leader and Kuki armed “village volunteers” who had allegedly threatened Meiteis against attending the iconic festival organised after a two-year gap due to the ethnic conflict that broke out in May 2023.

The incident occurred at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in the Imphal East district, about 25 km from Imphal. A group of 20 journalists were travelling to the Naga-majority Ukhrul district to cover the five-day festival, which the Governor inaugurated on Tuesday (May 20, 2025).

The COCOMI accused the personnel of the Army’s 4 Mahar Regiment guarding the checkpoint of “erasing” the name of Manipur from the bus. The Army has not reacted to the allegation.

Leaders of Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the State were on the same page in criticising the bus incident, demanding punishment for those responsible.

The Shirui Lily Festival was expected to bring a semblance of normalcy in the State scarred by a long-drawn conflict between the Kuki-Zo tribal people and the Meiteis. The conflict, which broke out on May 3, 2023, killed more than 250 people and displaced some 60,000.