The Kohima Press Club and the Ukhrul District Working Journalists’ Association have strongly condemned an incident in which personnel of the MAHAR Regiment of the Indian Army allegedly covered the word “Manipur” on a state-run media bus, calling it a clear act of harassment against the press and an affront to the state’s identity.
The incident occurred at Gwaltabi, Imphal East, as a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus, assigned by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) to ferry journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul, was stopped by Army personnel.
Soldiers reportedly obscured the word “Manipur” on the vehicle’s signboard, prompting the media team to abort the trip and return to Imphal in protest, describing the act as degrading and humiliating.
The Kohima Press Club and the Ukhrul District Working Journalists’ Association, along with several other civil society groups, have demanded accountability, calling the action a violation of press freedom and a deliberate insult to the people of Manipur.
The incident has drawn sharp attention to the treatment of journalists in the region and sparked renewed calls for respecting the identity and constitutional dignity of states and the media.
