The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), on Saturday (May 24, 2025), launched a “civil disobedience campaign against President’s Rule administration” and the “public boycott” of Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The announcement by the Imphal Valley-based organisation followed the expiry of its 48-hour general strike from midnight of May 21. The strike was against the masking of the words ‘Manipur State Transport’ on a bus carrying journalists to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, allegedly by security personnel.
While imposing the strike, the COCOMI sought an apology from the Governor for the bus incident. It also demanded the resignation of the State’s Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Chief Secretary P.K. Singh, and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.
The organisation held the trio responsible for the incident that “undermined the identity of Manipur, its name, pride, and respect”.
Reiterating the demands, the COCOMI said in a statement: “The refusal of the Governor and the presidential rule administration to acknowledge and apologise for this deep insult to the State’s identity, confirms their disconnect from the ground reality and their disdain for the sentiments of the people.”
It announced mass protests, rallies, torch processions, and sit-ins across Manipur, specifically outside the Raj Bhavan, Central government offices, and the district headquarters.
The COCOMI urged the citizens to cease all cooperation with Central government offices “whose decisions have repeatedly undermined the State’s dignity”.
It also appealed to the communities, students, women’s groups, and civil society organisations to take active roles in organising cultural expressions of Manipuri identity, and door-to-door and loudspeaker campaigns to build momentum to push the demands.
On May 21, the government ordered a probe by constituting a two-member committee with bureaucrats. The COCOMI rejected the panel and demanded the constitution of an “independent inquiry” committee with a retired Sessions Court or High Court judge. It also asked the government to explain the incident involving the bus to the people of Manipur.
Published – May 25, 2025 12:34 am IST
