IMPHAL, May 20: Media professionals in Manipur staged a protest rally on Tuesday, marching from the Manipur Press Club to Raj Bhavan in Imphal to condemn the alleged harassment of journalists en route to cover the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district. The protest was jointly organized by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and the Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM), culminating in the submission of a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur.
The memorandum demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident at Gwaltabi in Imphal East district, where personnel from the MAHAR Regiment and the Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly blocked a media team traveling to cover the opening ceremony of the 5th Shirui Lily Festival. The media team was aboard a bus arranged by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), labeled with “Manipur State Transport.”
In a joint emergency meeting at the Manipur Press Club, AMWJU and EGM resolved to observe a Pen-Down Strike on Wednesday, May 21, suspending all journalistic activities. They also announced a complete boycott of all news and official information related to the Manipur State Government and the operations of Central and State security forces in the state. The organizations warned that the strike could be extended indefinitely if the issue remains unresolved.
The protest gained momentum across Manipur’s civil society. Women activists from Imagi Meira stormed the office of Manipur’s Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, demanding answers and accountability. Retired Manipur University Anthropology professor W. Nabakumar also criticized the incident as a violation of press freedom, calling for immediate intervention from the authorities.
The Republican Party of India (Athawale), Manipur State Unit, also joined the chorus of condemnation, demanding the formation of an inquiry committee. State President Maheswor Thounaojam labeled the army’s alleged instruction to cover the signage on a government bus as “anti-national” and an insult to the people of Manipur. He called on the central government to provide a public explanation.
The incident took place at the Gwaltabi checkpoint, around 25 km from Imphal. According to reports, the media team had already cleared multiple checkpoints before being stopped at Gwaltabi, where army personnel allegedly asked them to hide the “Manipur State Transport” signage on their bus. Though the journalists initially considered complying to avoid delay, extended discussions with the army led to significant loss of time, prompting the media team to return to Imphal, abandoning their coverage of the festival.
The Shirui Lily Festival, now in its fifth edition, is being held for the first time since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a high-level meeting on May 8 to finalize security, transport, and programming arrangements. Special transport services were announced by MST to facilitate travel to the festival from May 20 to 24.
