The 48-hour strike called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) entered its second day on Friday, bringing life to a standstill across the Valley districts. The protest was launched in response to an alleged directive by the Army’s Mahar Regiment to conceal a “Manipur State Transport” signage on a state-run bus, sparking outrage across Meitei-majority districts.

Shops, schools, government offices, and public transport services remained shut in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal districts. Demonstrators blocked roads, burned tyres, and staged sit-ins, though the protests remained largely peaceful.

Security was tightened in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents. However, vehicles en route to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily Festival were allowed to operate.

The controversy erupted on Tuesday at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East, where army personnel allegedly instructed accompanying government staff to cover the transport signage on a bus carrying journalists to the festival. The label was reportedly masked with white paper, an act that civil society groups condemned as a direct affront to Manipur’s identity.

COCOMI described the move as a “direct assault on our state’s pride, dignity, and existence,” demanding an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and the resignations of the state’s Director General of Police, Chief Secretary, and Security Adviser.

The incident has reignited tensions over Manipur’s territorial integrity, especially amid ongoing calls from the Kuki-Zo community for a separate Union Territory following ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.

In response to the growing unrest, Governor Bhalla on Wednesday constituted a two-member inquiry panel to investigate the incident. The committee, led by Commissioner M. Ashok Kumar and Secretary Th. Kirankumar Singh, has been tasked with submitting its report within 15 days.