COCOMI’s Call For 48-hour Bandh Affects Normal Life In Manipur’s Imphal Valley
Mr Kuldiep Singh, who was named the state’s security adviser to tackle the ethnic violence in Manipur, defended the directive. He said it was a precautionary measure to avoid incidents like the one in Kangpokpi, where suspected Kuki-Zo militants attacked a bus
Guwahati: The normal life was affected across the five districts of Imphal Valley on Thursday following a 48-hour state-wide bandh called by Meitei organisation---the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) in protest a directive for the removal of “Manipur” from a state transport buses. All businesses, educational institutions, and markets were shut and public transport remained off the roads.
Mr Kuldiep Singh, who was named the state’s security adviser to tackle the ethnic violence in Manipur, defended the directive. He said it was a precautionary measure to avoid incidents like the one in Kangpokpi, where suspected Kuki-Zo militants attacked a bus.
However, in view of the growing protest the Manipur government on Wednesday ordered a probe into the allegations that security personnel forced to cover the state’s name on a bus taking journalists to the Shirui Lily festival on Tuesday.
It was alleged that security forces had stopped the state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the tourism festival in Ukhrul district on Tuesday, and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to cover the state’s name written on the windshield with a white paper.
The government formed a two-member inquiry committee, and said that it will “examine facts and circumstances involving security personnel and Manipur State Road Transport Bus carrying media persons to cover the Manipur Shirui festival on May 20 near “Gwaltabi Checkpost”, according to an order issued by the Home Department.
“The committee shall look into lapses, if any and suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such a situation in future,” it said.
The committee, comprising Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar and Secretary Th Kirankumar Singh, has been asked to submit its report within 15 days, it added.
Meanwhile, central forces personnel have been deployed at strategic places across all points leading to the Raj Bhavan.
At Wangkhei, Khurai, Kongba in Imphal East district and Kwakeithel, Naoremthong in Imphal West district, bandh supporters came out on the streets to enforce the shutdown and asked any individual outside their homes to return back. The bandh started on Wednesday at midnight.
The COCOMI, which called for the bandh against the directive, demanded Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s apology within 48 hours and called for Kuldiep Singh, chief secretary P K Singh, and police chief Rajiv Singh’s resignations.
