The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has announced a 48-hour general strike across Manipur starting from midnight, issuing a set of strong demands that include the resignation of the state’s Security Advisor, Director General of Police (DGP), and Chief Secretary. The organisation has also demanded a public apology from the Governor of Manipur.

The declaration follows COCOMI’s sharp condemnation of recent actions by the Indian Army’s Mahar Regiment, particularly in the Gwaltabi area of Imphal East. The group alleged that these actions aimed to “delegitimise the authority and very existence of the state of Manipur within its own territory.”

“Such actions are not only irresponsible but dangerously align with the agendas of illegal elements who have been persistently working to destabilise the region over the past two years,” said Laikhuram Jayenta, convenor of COCOMI’s IPR sub-committee, in a statement on Tuesday.

The situation escalated when an official media team, travelling to cover the government-sponsored Shirui Lily Festival 2025, was stopped at the Gwaltabi checkpoint by security forces. According to COCOMI, the personnel instructed the journalists to conceal the “Manipur State Transport” signage on their bus before proceeding.

“This outrageous directive caused confusion and concern among the journalists, who viewed the order as a direct affront to the state’s legitimacy,” Jayenta said. The media team subsequently returned to Imphal, choosing not to proceed with their assignment.

COCOMI described the incident as a “gross violation of the state’s dignity and sovereign administrative authority,” and raised questions over the command and motives of the Indian Army and central forces operating in the region.

“The fact that such an incident occurred during an official state programme underscores the alarming extent to which civilian governance is being overridden,” Jayenta stated.

COCOMI has demanded accountability from the concerned officers and an immediate explanation from the central authorities. It also declared its full support to the journalist community, particularly the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU), vowing to stand with them in all collective responses to the incident.