Latest news with #ManipurStateTransport
Scroll.in
7 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Manipur: No order issued to mask ‘state transport' sign on bus, says chief secretary
The Manipur government had not issued any instructions to cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on a state-run bus on May 20, Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh said on Thursday. Singh said that the incident was 'deeply regretted' and that the state administration had taken it with utmost seriousness. 'The State will also ensure that such an incident does not occur in future,' the official. The chief secretary said that what transpired on the ground that day will become clear only after a thorough inquiry. He added that Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had formed an inquiry committee consisting of the home department commissioner and the information technology secretary which will present its findings on the matter in a time-bound manner. On May 20, central security forces allegedly stopped a group of 20 journalists in Imphal East district and directed them to hide the 'Manipur State Transport' sign on the government bus they were travelling in. The incident occurred at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East while the group was travelling to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, a cultural event organised by the state tourism department, in the Naga-majority Ukhrul district. The route to the district passes through several Kuki villages. The team initially tried to comply with the direction. However, delays due to negotiations with the security forces forced them to cancel the trip and return to Imphal. A video of the 'Manipur State Transport' sign being covered was circulated widely on social media. On May 27, the student wing of Meitei civil society group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity locked the offices of the chief electoral officer and the Geological Survey of India in Imphal West to protest the incident. Manipur has been mired in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities that have killed at least 260 persons and displaced more than 59,000 persons since May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.
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First Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Why Manipur's Shirui Lily Festival has turned into a flashpoint over identity
The Shirui Lily Festival in Manipur, a celebration of peace and cultural unity, has become a flashpoint of identity following an incident on May 20 that triggered political backlash, media protests, and renewed ethnic tensions read more Agitators form a human chain during a protest over the alleged removal of 'Manipur' signage from a state government bus in Imphal. PTI The Shirui Lily Festival in Manipur, a celebration of peace and cultural unity, has become a flashpoint of identity following an incident on May 20 that triggered political backlash, media protests, and renewed ethnic tensions. According to India Today NE report, the controversy erupted after a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus carrying journalists to cover the festival was stopped at the Gwaltabi checkpoint by personnel from the 4th Mahar Regiment. The security forces allegedly instructed the media team to cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on the bus's windshield with white paper, an act perceived as a deliberate attempt to erase the state's identity, added the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 5th Shirui Lily Festival, which was held from May 20 to 24 in Ukhrul, returned after a two-year hiatus due to ethnic tensions. The controversial order triggered widespread outrage among the Meitei community, who regard the state's name as a vital emblem of their identity and historical pride. The incident forced the media team to abandon their assignment and return to Imphal, further fueling resentment. According to the report, the directive was particularly jarring given the Union Government's previous acknowledgment of Manipur's legacy — most notably in 2021, when Home Minister Amit Shah renamed Mount Harriet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Mount Manipur, in tribute to the state's role in the 1891 resistance against British colonial rule. The removal of the state's name from the vehicle was widely condemned as a direct insult to Manipur's dignity, and what ensued was a wave of public outrage, mass protests, and shutdowns that reignited simmering tensions over identity, autonomy, and the role of security forces in the conflict-ridden state. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei civil society group, called a 48-hour general strike starting midnight on May 21. The shutdown brought the Imphal Valley to a standstill, with businesses, schools, and public transport closed, except for emergency medical services and travel to the festival. The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union and Editors' Guild Manipur also launched a pen-down protest, demanding a full investigation and accountability for the incident. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD COCOMI accused the Mahar Regiment of attempting to undermine the state's authority and called for the resignation of key officials, including the security advisor, the director general of police, and the chief secretary. They also demanded a formal apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Several other civil society groups echoed these concerns, questioning how such a directive could be issued and enforced within Manipur's own territory, further intensifying the debate over the state's autonomy, dignity, and internal cohesion. The controversy also intensified existing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities, particularly since the ethnic conflict in May 2023. The road to the festival passes through a buffer zone and some Kuki villages, which has heightened concerns about safety and access. Kuki civil society organisations have previously warned Meiteis against crossing the buffer zone, citing it as a 'direct challenge' to their community and jurisdiction . The incident has overshadowed the festival's intended purpose of promoting peace and cultural unity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who inaugurated the festival, faced criticism for continuing with the event amid the controversy. On Monday, Governor Bhalla was airlifted in an Army helicopter on to avoid major protests on his way from Imphal airport to Raj Bhawan, just six kilometers away. The protests, led by COCOMI, saw hundreds of people forming a human chain on Tiddim Road to oppose the removal of the state's name from a government bus. The protest stretched about 5.5 km from Imphal airport to Keishampat Junction, with many students taking part. Governor Bhalla, who had flown to New Delhi on May 21 with Chief Secretary PK Singh, returned to Imphal today. The reason for his visit to the capital has not been made public. In response to the public outcry, the state administration has now formed a two-member committee to investigate the incident. The committee, comprising Home Commissioner N Ashok Kumar and IT Secretary Th Kirankumar Singh, has been tasked with submitting its findings within 15 days and recommending preventive measures to avoid such occurrences in the future, reported Times of India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the investigation unfolds, the incident continues to fuel debates over Manipur's identity, governance, and the delicate balance between security measures and cultural sensitivities. With inputs from agencies
India Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Fresh clashes erupt in Manipur over erasing state name from buses, shell gas used
Tensions erupted in Manipur on Sunday afternoon as hundreds of protesters marched towards the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, over a reported directive to remove the state's name from MST (Manipur State Transport) buses en route to the Shirui Festival in outraged protestors demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the resignation of the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and Security to a call by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), protesters gathered at Khwairamband and began a rally, covering about 500 metres, before being stopped by security forces near Kangla Gate, around 150 metres from the Raj Bhavan. Security personnel fired multiple rounds of smoke bombs and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, resulting in minor injuries to more than five women. Protesters accused the governor and his administration of insulting Manipur's identity and disregarding the sentiments of the people."The governor continues to disregard the sentiments of the people through his silence. He and his administration have completely humiliated the state's historical and cultural legacy while administering the state," one protester said. advertisement They also criticised the inquiry commission set up by the government, calling it inadequate and lacking provisions to penalise those Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity condemned the move to remove 'Manipur' from the Manipur State Transport bus network, calling it divisive and unacceptable. The organisation has announced statewide agitation until their demands — including the resignations of top state officials — are met. As of Sunday evening, the governor's office had not issued any official statement on the Watch IN THIS STORY#Manipur
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Manipur tensions escalate as protesters clash with security forces near Raj Bhavan
GUWAHATI: Tension flared in Manipur's capital, Imphal, on Sunday as security personnel fired tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse protesters marching towards the Raj Bhavan. The demonstrators were responding to a call by the Meitei organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which is incensed with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for not issuing an apology over a recent incident involving a government-run bus. According to reports, a media team travelling to Ukhrul in a bus to cover the Shirui Lily Festival was allegedly instructed by security personnel en route to conceal the words 'Manipur State Transport' displayed on the vehicle. COCOMI condemned this as an act that 'undermines the identity, pride, and respect of Manipur' and has since announced a series of protest programmes, including a civil disobedience campaign and a public boycott of the governor.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Protesters scuffle with security forces near Manipur Raj Bhavan
Imphal, A scuffle broke out between protesters and security forces on Sunday while they were on their way to gherao the Raj Bhavan here against the removal of the state's name from a government bus. The protesters responding to a call by COCOMI to stage mass agitation gathered at Khwairamband and took out a rally for some 500 metres before they were stopped by security forces. They were demanding an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over an alleged insult to Manipur's identity. Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters in front of Kangla Gate, some 150 metres from Raj Bhavan gate. Five protesters have been admitted to hospital with injuries, a hospital official said. One protester told reporters, "The governor continues to disregard the sentiments of the people by his silence. He and his administration has completely humiliated the state's historical and cultural legacy all the while administering the state. The inquiry commission set up by the government to probe the incident is not enough and does not mention anything about penalising those who were involved." The protest follows outrage over a reported directive to remove "Manipur" from Manipur State Transport bus with journalists on board on May 20 en route to the Shirui Festival in Ukhrul district. COCOMI has announced statewide agitation and demanded the resignation of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Security Advisor. The Manipur government on Wednesday ordered a probe into the allegations that security personnel forced to cover the state's name on a bus taking journalists to the Shirui Lily festival. It was alleged that security forces had stopped the state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the tourism festival in Ukhrul district on Tuesday, and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations staffers to cover the state's name written on the windshield with a white paper. The government formed a two-member inquiry committee, and said that it will "examine facts and circumstances involving security personnel and Manipur State Road Transport Bus carrying media persons to cover the Manipur Shirui festival on May 20 near Gwaltabi checkpost", according to an order issued by the Home Department.
