Manipur: COCOMI condemns security forces for obstructing media travel to Shirui Lily Fest

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has issued a formal condemnation following an incident where security personnel stopped journalists from travelling to a state event unless they concealed the name "Manipur State Transport" on their official vehicle.

In a statement released today, COCOMI criticised what it described as "a deliberate attempt to delegitimize the authority and very existence of the state of Manipur within its own territory" by members of the Indian Army's Maha Regiment stationed at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East.

According to the organisation, journalists were en route to cover the opening of the Shirui Lily Festival 2025, a state-sponsored event facilitated by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, when they were instructed to cover the state name on their bus. The media team declined to comply with this request and returned to Imphal, later arranging alternative transportation.

"This act represents a gross violation of the state's dignity and sovereign administrative authority," COCOMI stated, questioning the operational motives and chain of command within security forces deployed in the region.

The organization has requested an explanation for the actions and called for accountability from the officers involved. COCOMI also expressed concerns about what it perceives as a pattern of central forces overriding civilian governance structures.

"The Governor of Manipur, along with other officials who had earlier made assurances for peaceful and secure movement during the ongoing festival, have now been openly defied by their own security apparatus," the statement noted.

COCOMI has declared its support for the Working Journalist Community and the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) in response to the incident.

The organisation also urged the Government of India to review its policy regarding the deployment of security personnel in the region, specifically recommending forces with a better understanding of local cultural and historical contexts.

Representatives from the Indian Army and the state government had not issued responses regarding the matter at the time of reporting.