Guwahati, May 20: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has issued a scathing condemnation of the Indian Army’s Maha Regiment and central security forces for what it calls a “deliberate assault on the dignity and authority” of the state of Manipur. The outrage stems from an incident on Tuesday in which a state-sponsored media team was blocked at a security checkpoint en route to cover the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul and allegedly ordered to conceal the words “Manipur State Transport” printed on their vehicle.
The media team, travelling under the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), was forced to turn back at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East, where personnel from the Maha Regiment and BSF allegedly issued the directive. In protest, the journalists returned to Imphal and later arranged independent transport but were unable to carry out their assigned coverage.
COCOMI convenor Laikhuram Jayenta called the action “outrageous” and an unjustified attempt to delegitimize Manipur’s own existence within its borders. “This is not just about obstructing journalists,” he said. “It’s about an alarming trend where central forces are actively undermining civilian authority, treating the state government as irrelevant.”
The Shirui Lily Festival, being held for the first time since the ethnic violence of 2023, was meant to be a step toward reconciliation and cultural healing. But the blockade has cast a shadow over the event. COCOMI asserts that the Army’s actions align dangerously with the interests of illegal armed groups seeking to destabilize the region.
“The fact that security forces would ask to hide the name of the state on a state-run vehicle—within the state itself—raises disturbing questions about who’s really in charge,” Jayenta said. He added that this action signals a breakdown in the chain of command, suggesting that civilian governance is being bypassed in favour of military discretion.
COCOMI’s statement points to a growing mistrust of non-local central security forces, especially in light of recent ethnic unrest. The group accuses these forces of acting with partiality and failing to grasp the region’s sensitive cultural and political landscape. The incident, they say, only deepens public suspicion and fractures already fragile trust.
Governor-led assurances of safe passage for journalists and festival-goers now appear openly defied by the very forces tasked with ensuring peace, COCOMI stated. “Are we witnessing the rise of undeclared military rule in Manipur?” the group asked.
COCOMI has demanded an immediate explanation and action against the officers responsible, stating that accountability is non-negotiable. The group also extended full solidarity to the working journalist community, particularly the All Manipur Working Journalists Union.
