Manipur Erupts Over 'One Word': Public Locks Down Govt Offices After Name Row

Tensions in Manipur flared once again this week—this time, not due to violence or inter-community clashes, but over a single word: Manipur.

The name of the state, when covered up on a government bus by security forces, triggered widespread outrage and culminated in angry citizens locking down central government offices, launching massive protests, and demanding high-level resignations.

🔥 What Sparked the Unrest?

On May 20, during the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district, a government bus carrying journalists was stopped at the Gwaltabi checkpost by security personnel. The staff from the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) were reportedly forced to cover the word “Manipur”—which was written on the bus’s windshield—with white paper.

This act, perceived as an insult to the state's identity, especially in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley, ignited protests that turned aggressive by May 28.

🧨 Protests Intensify: Key Developments

• COCOMI’s Student Wing Leads Lockdowns: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei civil society group, led the protests and locked down key central government offices, including:

  • The Chief Electoral Officer’s office

  • The Geological Survey of India office in Imphal

• Slogans and Demands: Protesters chanted “Apologize or Leave Manipur”, demanding:

  • A public apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla

  • Resignations of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Security Advisor

• Public Mobilization:

  • A 5-km human chain was formed from Singjamei to Lilong in Imphal West.

  • Rallies and marches erupted in Lamlong, Nambol, and Bishnupur towns.

💬 Political Reactions 🔹 N. Biren Singh (Former CM):

Met with Governor Bhalla and urged that protesters be invited for talks to ease tensions.

🔹 Congress Leader Okram Ibobi Singh:

Called the act “a grave insult to Manipur’s identity”.
Demanded that the officer who ordered the covering up of the state’s name must publicly apologize.

“Manipur has existed for centuries—long before its merger with India in 1949. This is not just about a word; it’s about identity and dignity,” he said.

🧠 What’s Behind the Deep Anger?

The anger over the covering up of the state’s name is not just symbolic—it reflects:

• Deep-seated anxieties about attempts to diminish the state’s identity

• Ongoing ethnic tensions and civic distrust toward central authorities

• A backdrop of narco-terrorism, illegal immigration, and worsening law-and-order

A Meitei delegation met with Home Ministry officials in Delhi and raised these broader concerns, signaling that this unrest is part of a larger trust deficit between the valley and New Delhi.

🧭 The Road Ahead

The situation in Manipur remains volatile. What started as a seemingly minor incident has escalated into a full-blown political and social flashpoint, driven by the state’s complex ethnic dynamics and a growing sense of marginalization.