Manipur Governor Forced to Fly 7 Kms as Protestors Block Road

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27-05-2025

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Manipur Governor Forced to Fly 7 Kms as Protestors Block Road
The Wire Staff
17 minutes ago
To avoid the protestors, he boarded an Army chopper after landing in Manipur, which took him to the helipad at the historic Kangla fort complex situated opposite the Raj Bhawan.
Women stage a protest demanding an apology from Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the alleged removal of 'Manipur' signage from a state government bus. Photo: PTI
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New Delhi: Manipur governor Ajay Bhalla was forced to take a chopper ride from the airport to reach the Raj Bhawan on Monday (May 26) in light of protestors camping along the 7-km stretch.
The protestors had formed a human chain between Imphal's Tulihal Airport's departure gate and the Keishampat Junction near the Raj Bhavan. People carried placards with slogans like 'Manipur's identity is non-negotiable' as they waited for the governor's convoy to pass.
Bhalla was returning from New Delhi after attending the Rising Northeast Investors Summit. To avoid the protestors, he boarded an Army chopper after landing in Manipur, which took him to the helipad at the historic Kangla fort complex situated opposite the Raj Bhawan.
From the fort, the governor was driven about 300 metres to the Raj Bhavan amid heightened security, the Hindu reported.
Protest over bus name
Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei organisation, announced mass protests, rallies, torch processions, and sit-ins against the bid to 'undermine the identity of Manipur, its name, pride, and respect'.
COCOMI was referring to a May 20 incident when security personnel had asked a media team and state officials to hide 'Manipur State Transport' written on the bus that was carrying them to the Naga-dominated Ukhrul to cover the Shirui Lily Festival.
COCOMI has demanded an apology from the governor over the incident. They also demanded the resignation of chief secretary P.K. Singh, security advisor Kuldiep Singh and director-general of police Rajiv Singh over the incident which 'undermined the identity of Manipur, its name, pride and respect'.
President's rule questioned
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the situation in the state citing the short helicopter ride. 'President's Rule appears to have made no difference whatsoever in Manipur. Today, the Governor had to take a helicopter from the airport in Imphal to Kangla Fort in order to reach his residence,' he said.
'Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is busy giving filmi dialogues in different parts of the country and politicising Operation Sindoor while continuing to ignore Manipur. The Union Home Minister has failed most miserably and should resign for his total failure to bring a semblance of normalcy in Manipur, which he has been managing,' he added.
Manipur has been under the President's rule since February 13 after Biren Singh stepped down as chief minister nearly two years after an ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities erupted in the state. Both communities had called for Singh's resignation, holding him responsible for the ongoing ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023.
The conflict – ongoing since May 3, 2023 – has led to the deaths of over 200 people, the displacement of tens of thousands and the effective bifurcation of the state along ethnic lines.
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