The Gwaltabi incident has sparked outrage, with the Meitei Alliance warning that allowing such actions to go unchecked could embolden divisive forces. In its letter to the Governor, the group demands accountability and constitutional safeguards against further humiliation of the state.
BY PC Bureau
Imphal / New Delhi, May 21, 2025 — In a forceful and emotionally charged open letter, the Meitei Alliance—a coalition of Manipuri diaspora organizations from around the globe—has urged the Governor of Manipur to immediately investigate what it describes as a “brazen and humiliating” act: the forced removal of the word “Manipur” from a Manipur State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus by personnel of the Mahar Regiment.
The incident, which reportedly took place at the Gwaltabi checkpoint, has triggered fresh outrage in the conflict-scarred state. According to eyewitnesses and media accounts, journalists en route to the Shirui Lily Festival were instructed by central security personnel to conceal the word “Manipur” on their official state transport vehicle. The bus was later forced to turn back after the media team refused to comply, sparking immediate condemnation from press bodies, civil society, and now, the diaspora.
In a letter dated May 21 and marked Ref. No. 20250521L, the Meitei Alliance demanded accountability and swift corrective action, stating that the erasure of the state’s name was not just an isolated incident but a symbolic act of exclusion and erasure.
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“This action is a blatant assault on the identity, dignity, and constitutional status of Manipur and its people,” the letter stated. “It sends a dangerous message—that the very name of Manipur is unwelcome within its own constitutional boundaries.”
Open letter to the Governor of Manipur @RajBhavManipur seeking an Urgent Investigation to the action of the Mahar Regiment who forced to remove ‘Manipur’ from an MSRTC bus in order travel to Shirui Festival in Ukhrul district of Manipur.@BhallaAjay26 @adgpi @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/QaGtkRcVhn
— Meitei Alliance (@Me1teiAlliance) May 21, 2025
‘Symbolic Violence with Real Consequences’
The Alliance expressed grave concern over what it called the growing militarization of civilian spaces in Manipur and the perception that central security forces, once viewed as neutral arbiters of peace, are now acting under questionable influences.
The letter posed three specific questions to the Governor:
- Under whose orders did the paramilitary personnel act?
- Why was a state vehicle, operating legally within its own territory, obstructed for displaying the name of the state?
- Are central forces now capitulating to separatist pressures, rather than maintaining law and order impartially?
The Alliance noted that while the act may appear symbolic, it carries deeply unsettling undertones in a state that has witnessed over two years of ethnic unrest, political upheaval, and displacement.
“In a state already scarred by violence, displacement, and an erosion of trust in central security forces, such actions only deepen the chasm,” the letter warned. “They embolden divisive forces and set dangerous precedents.”
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A Call for Institutional Accountability
The Meitei Alliance has requested the Governor to:
- Initiate a time-bound and transparent investigation into the incident;
- Hold accountable all personnel involved in issuing or executing the directive;
- Guarantee that no such action will recur in the future.
The Alliance further recommended a broader review of the role of central forces in Manipur, especially in regions where local trust in the military has deteriorated.
“Efforts to fracture [Manipur’s] identity—whether through violence or the subtle legitimization of separatist pressures—must be met with unequivocal resistance from all arms of the state,” it said.
Political and Public Response
While there has been no official comment from the Governor’s office or the Ministry of Defence, the letter aligns with growing public unease over recent events in Manipur. The Gwaltabi incident follows closely on the heels of press protests and strikes led by the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM), which have condemned the security forces’ overreach.
The opposition has also weighed in. Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei earlier remarked that “continued restrictions on free movement and expression are signs of creeping authoritarianism.”
Social media platforms such as X have seen hashtags like #RespectStateIdentity, #GwaltabiIncident, and #ManipurMatters trend intermittently, reflecting a groundswell of digital protest. Several posts from citizens and activists have echoed the Alliance’s sentiment, calling the incident “a quiet erasure of a state’s pride.”
Background: A State in Suspension
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid escalating ethnic tensions between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The state assembly remains in suspended animation, and security forces have maintained a heavy presence in both the valley and the hill districts.
Against this backdrop, the Gwaltabi incident has struck a particularly sensitive nerve—raising not only constitutional questions but also fears about the long-term impact on Manipur’s cultural and political identity.
The Meitei Alliance’s letter closes with a direct appeal to the Governor to act swiftly and “as a custodian of the Constitution and a guardian of the state’s unity.” The Alliance asserts that the dignity of Manipur cannot be bartered away through intimidation or erasure and calls on all constitutional institutions to reaffirm their commitment to India’s federal spirit.
As of this writing, stakeholders across the political spectrum await a formal response from the Raj Bhavan. For many in Manipur and its global diaspora, the coming days may determine whether the state’s identity can withstand not just conflict, but silence.
