GUWAHATI: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Saturday announced a “civil disobedience campaign against President’s rule administration” and “public boycott” of Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The Meitei organisation made the announcement after the expiry of its 48-hour general strike called in protest against the recent incident where a media team, en route to Ukhrul to cover the Shirui Lily festival, was allegedly instructed by security personnel to conceal the words “Manipur State Transport” displayed on a government bus which the scribes were travelling in.
The COCOMI had earlier demanded an apology from the governor and resignation of the state’s security advisor, chief secretary and director general of police, holding them responsible for the incident which “undermined the identity of Manipur, its name, pride and respect.” The organisation on Saturday reiterated the demands.
“The refusal of the governor and the President's rule administration to acknowledge and apologise for this deep insult to the state’s identity confirms their disconnect from the ground reality and their disdain for the sentiments of the people,” COCOMI said in a statement.
It announced mass protests, rallies, torch processions, and sit-ins across the state, with stepped up agitations at the Raj Bhavan, central government offices, district headquarters and President’s rule offices.
The organisation urged citizens to cease all cooperation with central government offices “whose decisions have repeatedly undermined the state’s dignity.”
Further, it called upon communities, students, women’s groups and civil society organisations to take active roles in organising cultural expressions of Manipuri identity, door-to-door and loudspeaker campaigns to build momentum to push the demands.
The government earlier ordered a probe by constituting a two-member committee with bureaucrats. The COCOMI rejected it and demanded the constitution of an “independent inquiry” committee with a retired sessions/High Court judge. Further, it asked the government to explain the incident involving the bus to the people of Manipur.