The torch-bearing mothers of Manipur, known as the Meira Paibis, have strongly denounced the recent Gwaltabi incident, calling it a direct assault on the state’s unity and identity.

Speaking at the 27th Meira Paibi Numit observed at Tharo Devi Ground in Khurai Salanthong, Imphal East, Ema Soraisham Memcha, President of the Porei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur, condemned the May 20 incident in which personnel of the 4th Mahar Regiment allegedly forced a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus — carrying journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul — to remove its official signage.

Ema Memcha termed the act a deliberate provocation and demanded the immediate removal of Manipur’s Governor, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and Security Advisor, holding them responsible for the incident.

“The act is not just an insult to the journalists or the transport department; it is an attack on the collective dignity of Manipur,” she said. “We, the women of Manipur, will not remain silent. The Meira Paibi movement will resist such challenges with all its strength.”

She criticized the silence of the state government, warning that inaction could be perceived as complicity. “Any attempt to undermine the state’s integrity will be met with fierce resistance,” Ema Memcha added.

The commemorative event, organized by the Meira Paibi Observation Committee, also featured Prof. Dr. Ch. Sheelaramani and R. Rengsongak Koireng, President of the Meira Paibi Welfare Association Kangleipak, as presidium members. The gathering paid floral tributes to Meira Paibi members who had laid down their lives defending Manipur’s social and political fabric.

Meanwhile, several civil society groups, including AMUCO and AMAWOVA, are launching statewide campaigns to defend the sanctity and unity of Manipur amid rising tensions and concerns.