A thought on the Nation’s Republic Day
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 24, 2021 -

The nation is all set to celebrate the 72nd Republic Day with great fervor.

Manipur too joins the nation even as many rebel groups operating in the region had called boycott of the event and even called general strike to make sure that people of the state don’t participate the Republic day celebration.

On the evening of Jan 19 a grenade was hurled at the high security zone Raj Bhavan. But it couldn’t be certain whether the lobbing of bomb is related to the boycott call of the Republic Day or not as no UGs claims and the police are seem to be clueless.

The last many years starting witness several bomb blast but normalcy seem restored with the security force taking up extreme measure to foil any attempt to disturb the Republic Day celebration.

Amidst the threat unlike some 10 years back many people started believing that Manipur is a sole part of the Indian Nation, this is being assumed with the increase in the participation of the people to the Republic Day Celebration.

In 2015 a Manipuri girl of the Indian Army unfurled the nation’s tri colour flag at the National capital on that significant day of India. Two soldiers of the state martyred fighting the Pakistani soldier in Kargil War. Many sons of the soil had also given lives to protect the nation.

But still then there are many people who are waging war against the government demanding separate nation here in the state. With the development, both the centre and the state has succeeded in suppressing the movement of the rebels group in this region. But will this be the lasting solution?

The alleged illegal merger of Manipur to the Indian Union in October 15, 1949 after the controversial signing of the merger agreement between Maharajah Bodhachandra and the representatives of the Indian Union on September 21 of the same year at Shillong is the root of all mayhem in the present state of Manipur.

The rebels do have their cause in boycotting the day. The silence of both the state and central government seems to be a clear indication on the righteousness to the call of the rebel or else why shouldn’t there be any statement from the government authority regarding the reasons that the rebels had put forward justifying their cause, instead of using force to suppress their movement.

A stitch in time saves Nine – the saying should be well think upon. For someone who wanted to go deep into the genesis of all this chaos arisen out of the conflict we certainly do have reason to blame the Central government authority for all the present state of our state.

In his book “Open Secret”, Maloy Krishna Dhar, the then joint director of the SIB, an intelligent agency had categorically stated the political and economic condition of the state. As according to him he had submitted reports on why the youths especially the Meitei had frustration to the merger of the erstwhile kingdom to the Indian Union terming it as ignorance from the part of the Union government authority.

It was in the late 60s that intelligent agency had understood and further cautioned the Union leadership about the possible raise of a separatist movement as an outcome of negligence and proper understanding about the problem of the state.

Points here we wanted every guardian of the country’s constituency is the need of special attention to the problem of the state. A mere policy for awarding rehabilitation package to some of the rebel groups and signing of peace deal or cease fire is not a lasting solution. Rather it would bring major problem to the state.

A wrong is a wrong, and a right is always right. What is wrong in correcting the wrongs. India now is emerging as a super power and it is not wrong to speculate in the possible interference of external force to distort the country’s unity.

The only means to strengthen the ties of the country’s unity is through proper clarification on what had been committed before. It was a fact that people in the state believed that merger of Manipur with the Indian Union was Illegal- a resolution adopted by a peoples’ convention held at GM Hall Imphal in 1993.

Now the mindset of the youth had change a lot , no individuals are fool enough to be driven by some cheap provocative propaganda. So it is better the government accept what has happened before and should sort out the conflict with proper understanding. After all, rebels waging war are also human beings.