Is Manipur Being Silently Segregated?

The recent act by troops of the 4th Maha Regiment at Gwaltabi, where a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus carrying journalists to cover the Shirui Lily Festival was stopped and forced to conceal the word “Manipur” from its windshield, is not merely an isolated overstep by security personnel. It is a chilling reminder that even within our own borders, the integrity and identity of Manipur can be undermined—not by external enemies, but by acts sanctioned under the guise of “orders.”
While civil society organisations, particularly the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), have responded swiftly with a 48-hour shutdown to express collective outrage, one cannot help but notice the conspicuous silence—or worse, rationalisation—from those in positions of power. The matter has been widely misunderstood, or perhaps conveniently overlooked, as merely an incident of journalist harassment. But let’s be clear: this is not just about halting a bus or obstructing media coverage. This is about erasing the very identity of the state of Manipur in its own land.
The primary issue here is not the soldiers stationed at Gwaltabi. They, like every soldier in the world, follow orders. The responsibility does not fall squarely on them, but on those issuing such unconstitutional and divisive directives. The real question that every citizen, journalist, and political observer must ask is: who gave the order to erase “Manipur” from the bus, and why?
Was this an isolated lapse of judgment, or is it part of a broader and more sinister agenda? If orders are indeed being issued to remove or conceal the state’s name from its own official vehicles before entering certain regions, does this not amount to an undeclared and unofficial partition of Manipur? This incident raises serious concerns about the ongoing appeasement of militant demands, particularly those from armed Kuki groups who have been calling for a separate administration.
Where now are the words of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who stood on the floor of Parliament and promised to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur? Have those assurances been quietly shelved to serve some hidden political calculus? At what cost is this silence being maintained?
The clarification issued by BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra through social media, claiming the government stands committed to Manipur’s unity, may be seen as a welcome gesture. However, his words, like many others before, now ring hollow in the ears of people who have repeatedly seen their voices muted and their sentiments discarded in favour of political expediency. His statement, while calming on the surface, seems more an attempt to preserve optics than to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
Let us not forget the timing and setting of this incident. The MST bus was ferrying 22 journalists to cover the state’s largest cultural event, the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul—a festival that holds not only ecological and touristic value, but deep symbolic importance in fostering unity among communities. After two years of violent ethnic conflict and communal polarisation, the festival was seen as a hopeful step towards peace. The interference by the 4th Maha Regiment has, intentionally or otherwise, cast a shadow over this renewed hope.
Was this act a deliberate attempt to sabotage the festival? If not, then why were festival-bound journalists targeted? Why was there no prior communication or protocol from the administration if such orders existed? And if no such order existed, then who gave the verbal command to the soldiers on ground? These are questions that the government must answer publicly and swiftly—not behind closed doors, not in bureaucratic jargon, but in clear and accountable language.
The Governor’s decision to institute an Inquiry Committee is a step forward, but it will mean nothing if the committee fails to identify those responsible for this affront. It must not stop at identifying “lapses”—a soft word often used to avoid consequences—but must recommend penalties for the officials who authorised or allowed such anti-state actions.
The journalist bodies—the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM)—have taken a principled stand by resuming duties while continuing the boycott of government programmes. Their demands are not unreasonable. At stake is not just press freedom, but the very idea of a unified Manipur.
This editorial urges the Chief Secretary, the DGP, and the Security Advisor to come clean. If they issued the order, they must explain. If they didn’t, then they must identify who did. And if this was a military decision taken without consultation with the civil administration, then that too is an alarming overreach that cannot be tolerated in a democratic state.
The people of Manipur deserve answers. They deserve justice. And above all, they deserve to live in a Manipur that is whole—both in name and in spirit.