COCOMI agitation turns violent, scuffle with forces near Raj Bhavan leaves 5 injured
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Responding to the call by COCOMI, hundreds of protesters gathered at Khwairamband Bazaar near the Raj Bhavan to take part in the mass agitation but they were stopped by security forces.
As the scuffle ensued, security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters in front of Kangla Gate, around 150 metres from the Raj Bhavan gate, as a result of which many people were injured. Five injured protesters have been admitted to RIMS Hospital, a hospital official said.
"The governor continues to disregard the sentiments of the people by his silence," a protester said.
On May 20, a Manipur state transport bus with journalists on board, en route to the Shirui festival in Ukhrul district, was reportedly issued a directive to remove 'Manipur' from its windshield near Gwaltabi check-post.
The govt has formed a two-member inquiry committee and said it will 'examine facts and circumstances involving security personnel and Manipur state road transport Bus...',
an order issued by the home department said.
The unrest comes after the expiry of a 48-hour deadline set by COCOMI for the governor to issue a public apology.
COCOMI has decided to meet MHAin New Delhi on Tuesday to push forward the pending political and security processes regarding the prolonged Manipur crisis.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the use of mock bombs and tear gas shells on non-violent protestors, COCOMI said, "The deployment of such aggressive crowd control measures against unarmed civilians, many of whom were mothers and elderly women, is unbecoming of a democratic and sensitive administration."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
20 hours ago
- NDTV
"Obstructing Governance": Meitei Alliance Asks Manipur Governor Not To Renew Deal With Kuki Militants
Imphal: The controversial tripartite agreement signed between two dozen Kuki insurgent groups and the Centre and the Manipur government should not be extended due to blatant violation of ground rules by the armed groups, a global body of civil society organisations of the Meitei community has said in a representation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The Meitei Alliance - a conglomeration of 24 civil society organisations globally - in the letter to Mr Bhalla acknowledged the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement was originally intended to reduce violence and aid in peace-building. The SoO agreement has, however, "not only failed to deliver on these objectives but have also become a source of lawlessness, parallel authority, and systemic abuse across the state", the Meitei Alliance said. It cited a report by NDTV on alleged looting of highway-widening compensation funds by one of the SoO agreement signatories, Kuki National Front (KNF), in Manipur's Kangpokpi district. Many beneficiaries of the rehabilitation and resettlement funds sent by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to the competent authority (land acquisition) had alleged the KNF - whose home turf is Kangpokpi - siphoned off a large amount meant for those who lost their land or structures or both. "This investigation exposes how groups under the protection of SoO have extended their influence into public institutions and resource distribution, thereby obstructing both governance and economic development," the Meitei Alliance said in the representation to the governor. "... Multiple compensation credits were allegedly routed to individuals connected to SoO-protected armed groups; the entire process lacked transparency and accountability, undermining the rule of law and public trust," the Meitei Alliance said. The KNF refuted the allegations, calling them "utterly baseless and motivated accusations aimed at maligning our organisation". It did not, however, seek an investigation into the allegations or a forensic audit of the accounts of the alleged middlemen. At least 12 village chiefs/chairmen have also said they object to "erroneous and misleading manner in which our legitimate and specific issues have been lumped together with unconnected and unverified allegations". They denied villagers were coerced into signing blank documents under intimidation by the finance secretary of the armed group, Jangboi Kipgen. The village chiefs/chairmen, too, did not seek an investigation by any enforcement agency. None of the eight alleged middlemen has come on record to explain the multiple credits into their bank accounts worth crores of rupees. There could be other suspicious entries that only a proper forensic audit may be able to detect, a top banking source had told NDTV. Requesting the governor not to renew the SoO agreement, the Meitei Alliance cited three reasons why the agreement is doing more harm than good to Manipur - constitutional breach of state authority, public distrust and breakdown of governance, and social and communal fragmentation. The Manipur assembly on February 29, 2024 - the day the SoO agreement lapsed - unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to scrap the deal with Kuki insurgents, which broadly tells them to stay in designated camps with weapons kept in locked storage, among other ground rules. "Law and order is a state subject, and the continuation of SoO agreements - without accountability or consent from the elected state government - erodes constitutional federalism," the Meitei Alliance said. The President's rule in Manipur which came into effect in February following the resignation of N Biren Singh as chief minister has been extended for another six months. The assembly has been placed under suspended animation, meaning the assembly is active but cannot function temporarily. "The SoO framework has enabled the ethnic militarisation of civil society, obstructing the return to normalcy and inclusive peace across communities in Manipur," the Meitei Alliance said in the representation to Mr Bhalla. The 25 Kuki, Zomi and Hmar insurgent groups come under two umbrella organisations for the purpose of negotiations - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) led by the Kuki National Army (KNA), and the United People's Front (UPF) led by the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA). The KNO and the UPF representing all the others have signed the SoO agreement. The KNF comes under the KNO. In June, a KNA insurgent was among three people arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly attacking a police post and killing two commandos in Manipur's border town Moreh in January 2024. That was the second time an authority confirmed on record the violation of SoO ground rules by Kuki insurgents in Manipur in the last two years since Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes began in May 2023. The first official confirmation of the SoO agreement's ground rules violation came from the Manipur Police in September 2024 when three Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) insurgents - all of them residents of Churachandpur district - were killed in a gunfight in Jiribam. They were Seiminlen Khongsai, Haogoulen Doungel (31), and Nehboithang Haokip (26). The Manipur Police in September 2024 also for the first time confirmed the involvement of Meitei insurgent group UNLF (P), which had signed a ceasefire with the Centre and the state, after a UNLF (P) insurgent identified as Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma (41) was killed in the Jiribam gunfight. The NIA's June 8, 2025 statement and the Manipur Police's September 8, 2024 statement showed that insurgent groups in Manipur that have signed the SoO agreement have been involved in the Manipur violence. While the authorities have confirmed only two cases of SoO agreement and ceasefire violations in the last two years, both Meitei and Kuki civil society groups accuse each other of hiding the involvement of insurgents belonging to their respective communities in dozens of cases.
United News of India
3 days ago
- United News of India
Army Chief meets Manipur Governor, discusses security
Imphal, July 30 (UNI) General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), today called on the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. He was accompanied by the Army Commander of Eastern Command, the General Officer Commanding 3 Corps, and other senior Army officials. During the meeting, Governor Bhalla extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Army leadership for the successful execution of Operation Sindoor, lauding the Indian Army's professionalism, unwavering commitment, and sustained efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the region. The discussions also touched upon the commencement of the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, one of Asia's oldest and most prestigious football tournaments, which begins today. General Dwivedi expressed his appreciation to the Governor and the Government of Manipur for their consistent support and facilitation in organising the high-profile sporting event. The interaction underscored the strong civil-military cooperation in the region and reaffirmed the Army's role not just in national security but also in promoting sporting and cultural engagement. UNI NS RKM
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Plea to shift Myanmar Kuki detainees from Imphal jail
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHUR) has petitioned Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), seeking the transfer of 64 Myanmar nationals of Kuki ethnicity from the Imphal Central Jail to 'temporary prisons' in the Kuki-dominated districts of the State. In a separate memoranda addressed to Mr. Bhalla and NHRC Chairperson, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, on July 25, the rights organisation raised serious constitutional and humanitarian concerns over the continued detention of the Myanmar nationals. It highlighted the case of two of them, who have remained in jail despite completing their sentences. The KOHUR said the detention of the Myanmar nationals was a 'grave violation' of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, and a breach of international human rights conventions to which India is a signatory. The organisation referred to earlier gubernatorial notifications that permitted the relocation of Indian Kuki under-trial prisoners from Imphal and other sensitive zones to temporary prisons in the Kuki-dominated districts, such as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal. The KOHUR statement, signed by its chairman, H.S. Benjamin Mate, pointed out that the Myanmar detainees share deep cultural, linguistic, and familial ties with the indigenous Kukis of Manipur. It said that denying these detainees relocation based on nationality 'constitutes discriminatory treatment' and the continued detention of individuals beyond their sentence was 'a clear instance of arbitrary incarceration and a miscarriage of justice'. Centres for civil service exams placed outside State Meanwhile, the Delhi and NCR unit of the Kuki Students' Organisation has objected to the decision of the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) to conduct its upcoming Mains examination in Assam's Guwahati instead of Churachandpur district in Manipur, 'widely considered a safe zone' for Kuki students. In a letter to the Manipur Governor, the students' body said the decision was unjust and burdensome, especially for aspirants from the Kuki community who have been displaced or affected by the protracted violence in the State. It underscored the disproportionate impact such logistical decisions have on conflict-affected communities. 'If this request is not heeded, Kuki students in Delhi and across India may perceive this as an act of suppressing the educational opportunities of a particular community,' the organisation stated.
