COCOMI’s 48-Hour Bandh Disrupts Normal Life in Valley

The first day of the 48-hour bandh called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) brought Imphal to a standstill on Thursday. The bandh was imposed in protest against a directive by security forces to remove the word “Manipur” from a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus on May 20.

COCOMI, a conglomerate of civil society organisations, announced the strike on Wednesday. It came into effect at midnight on Wednesday and will continue until midnight on Friday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when a media team was traveling from Imphal in an MST bus to cover the inaugural function of the 5th Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul.

Despite the controversy, the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, inaugurated the festival.

A key demand of the committee is that the Governor must issue an apology. Additionally, COCOMI has called for the resignation of the Security Advisor, the Chief Secretary, and the Director General of Police, holding them accountable for the incident.

Meanwhile, all business establishments, educational institutions, markets, and public transport services remained shut. Imphal’s main commercial hubs—Paona Bazar, Thangal Bazar, and the Khwairamband Ima Market—wore a deserted look due to the bandh.

Although no official holiday was declared for government offices and institutions, only a few employees reported for work, according to officials.

Gurumayum Dayabati, President of the Uripok Nupi Apunba Lup (a women-based organisation), told the media, “We fully support the 48-hour general strike.” She added, “It is unfortunate that a media team traveling in an MST bus was directed by security forces at Guwaltabi, Imphal East, to remove the word ‘Manipur’ from the signage of Manipur State Transport if they wanted to proceed with their journey.”

On Wednesday, the World Meitei Council (WMC), a prominent Meitei civil body, issued a statement backing COCOMI’s stance and condemned what it described as a senseless decision by the government, currently under President’s Rule.

The council questioned, “Would the Government of India accept it if any power in the world asked to hide the name ‘India’ or the national flag in any national or international forum?”

The WMC also demanded an unconditional apology from the government for the May 20 incident.

On the first day of the strike, bandh supporters blocked roads in Imphal and surrounding areas using logs and by burning tyres. However, essential services and individuals traveling to attend the Shirui Lily Festival were exempted from the bandh.

As of the filing of this report, no untoward incidents had been reported.