New Delhi: A day after security forces allegedly stopped a government bus in Manipur with journalists on board and concealed the state’s name on its windshield, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
An official order issued by the home department of Manipur said that an inquiry committee has been constituted to examine the facts and circumstances around the incident involving security personnel and Manipur State Road Transport bus carrying media personnel to cover the Manipur Shirui Festival, 2025 on 20,5,2025 near Gwalatabi check post in Imphal East district.
The inquiry committee shall consist of N Ashok Kumar, commissioner (Home), government of Manipur, and Th Kirankumar Singh, secretary (IT), government of Manipur. The committee will submit its report in 15 days.
Giving his reaction over the incident, the northeast in-charge of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sambit Patra has reiterated that Manipur’s “integrity is non-negotiable” as controversy marked the Shirui Lily festival of the State after security forces allegedly stopped a government bus with journalists on board and concealing the state’s name on its windshield.
“I would like to congratulate the state of Manipur for conducting the Shirui Lily festival after two years. From May 17 to May 20, about three to four Manipur state transport buses carrying about 2,000 people have travelled to Ukhrul, where the Shirui Lily festival is being conducted. However, an unfortunate incident has happened on Tuesday which was an avoidable misunderstanding,” Patra said in a message.
“I firmly like to reiterate that as far as the integrity of Manipur is concerned, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also maintained, something which is non-negotiable. It’s something which we always stand for,” Patra said.
Former chief minister of Manipur N Biren Singh echoed the same and said, “What is this that the state’s name cannot be written in Manipur. Whoever is behind such irresponsible actions should be punished. First, know Manipur. I stand with the journalist fraternity and the people of Manipur, Singh said.
In a statement, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has said that the official media team en route to cover the opening of the Shirui Lily Festival 2025, a state-sponsored event facilitated by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Manipur, was forced to return midway by security forces at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East on Tuesday.
“Shockingly, the security personnel instructed the journalists to cover up the words “Manipur State Transport” printed on their bus before proceeding further,” it said.
The Shirui Lily Festival, named after the rare and endangered lily endemic to the Shirui Hills in Manipur’s Naga-dominated Ukhrul district, is the first major tourism and cultural event held in the region since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. The route from Imphal to Ukhrul traverses sensitive areas, including villages with a Kuki-Zo majority.
Registering their protest over the incident, four civil society organisations of Manipur including Delhi Manipuri Society (Demas), Meitei Heritage Society (MHS), Team Meitei Personalities, Manipur (TMP) and Ningol United Progressive Initiative (NUPI) wrote a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and demanded immediate investigation to identify the officers/personnel of the Mahar Regiment involved in the incident and take exemplary action.
They have also demanded to identify and take exemplary action against the Chin Kuki groups who threatened state agencies and civilians.
“What is the purpose of holding The Shirui Festival, if it defeats the very spirit of the festival to bring communities together. The Manipur Government’s claims of arranging security arrangements for visitors to the festival fall flat when you can’t even provide security for the media. In this process, you have also scuttled the Freedom of Press, and with it, the Fourth Pillar of democracy,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, a “pen down strike” was observed in Manipur, to protest the alleged harassment of journalists by security personnel.
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