Hijam Irawat and political movements in Manipur and the Surma valley
- Part 4 -

Dr R.K. Sanajaoba Singh *

Picture Courtesy : Irabot Day Observation Committee Delhi

Hijam Irawat and political movements in Manipur and the Surma valley

On 18 October 1948 the Maharaja inaugurated the first session of the Manipur State Assembly. Irawat was not destined the attend the Assembly as he was compelled to lead an underground life by the State Authorities after the "Pungdongbam Incident" This famous Incident occurred between a contingent of peasant rallyists who came to participate in the protest meeting at the Manipur Dramatic Union of Imphal and a group of police force led by the Officer-in-Charge.

The protest meeting was being organized by the MPS and the MKS jointly under the guidance of Irawat to express disapproval of a proposed scheme of a section of the Indian National Congress for the formation of a new State to be called the Purbanchal Pradesh by combination of Manipur, Tripura and the Cachar district of Assam. In the scuffle that occurred at the Pungdongbam area, the O.C. of the police was killed by a bullet fired from the side of the police.

On the very day of the Incident the Interim Government of M.K. Priyobarta issued a warrant against Irawat and many of his associates. The Manipur State Council declared the MKS the MPS to be unlawful. A massive repression was launched on the members of the MKS in all corners of Manipur.

The Pungdongbam Incident became a watershed in the political history of Manipur.

Although the protest meeting at the MDU could not be held because of lthe Pungdongbam Incident, it had a great poltical fall-out. The proposal of the Purbanchal Pradesh wsa drowned in the political turmoil unfolding in Manipur. The immediate effect of the police repression was that most of the activists of the MPS fled from it. The MPS passed into non-existence. The remaining members joined the communist movement.

The MKS survived the repression. Most of the members of the MKS became communists soon. Though elected to the Manipur State Assembly, the ruling clique wanted Irawat to remain outside the Assembly. He was forced to go underground. This ushered in a new type of political movement in Manipur, i.e., revolutionary movement. The Communist Party of India was built up in the underground period and undertook a militant revolutionary struggle with the peasantry as the backbone.

After he returned to Manipur in March 1946 irawat did not immediately establish a unit of the CPI. He was steadily enlightening his close associates on the principles and organization of the Communist Party. In February 1948 Irawat along with other delegates attended the first Assam Provincial Conference of the CPI. Irawat was elected to the Assam Provincial Committee of the CPI.

He presided over the open session and mass rally, where he called upon the people to strengthen the party. Being elected as one of the delegation, Irawat attended the Second Congress of the CPI on 28 February-6 March 1948. During the Congress in Calcutta Irawat had talks with the fraternal delegates from Burma led by Thakin Than Tun, particularly on tribal areas inside Burma bordering Manipur and the rest of India.

The Second Congress adopted the "Russian Path" line of B.T. Ranadive The call for leading the revolutionary upsurge to the people's democratic revolution was the main theme of the Second Congress. The political thesis of the Congress and other documents worked out a full-fledged left-sectarian, dogmatic and left-adventurist line and pursued it relentlessly. The sectarian line of exaggerating the revolutionary upsurge and trying to lead it to the path of armed struggle had disastrous consequences.

While actively organizing the MPS and the MKS, Irawat was making effort to build up the communist movement in Manipur. The first unit of the CPI was formed on 23 August 1948 at Keishamthong, Imphal. A District Organising Committee (DOC) was formed at the said meeting. Takhellambam Bokul was elected as the first Secretary. The first DOC became defunct from the Pungdongbam Incident. On 29 October 1948 the DOC was re-organised and strengthened by incorporating committed members.

Thokchom Boro was elected as the Secretary. In the period from October 1948 to June 1950 the Communist Party developed roots in Manipur. Under the guidance of the DOC a strong movement of the peasants was built up based on the Krishak Sabha which was organized by Irawat. The movement was largely successful in giving benefits to the peasants. Along with the peasants' movement the DOC formed a Red Guard. The Communist Party was successfully beginning to implement an armed revolution with the formation of the Red Guard and giving military training to the village militia.

As the activities of the DOC became a regular feature and the Red Guard began to conduct its training camps successfully, the state authorities resorted to repressive measures to capture the communist cadres, more particularly, the inspiring spirit Irawat . Initially a reward of Rs. 1000/- was announced on the capture of Irawat whether dead or alive. Among the quantum of the reward was magnified to Rs 10000/- which motivated many opportunists to act as intelligence informants for the security forces.

In the early part of 1950 the DOC resolved to contact the communists of Burma. In May 1950 Irawat started for Burma and reached there soon. He arranged for the training of the Red Guard by the Burmese communists. Batches of Red Guard cadres were sent by the DOC and trained by the Burmese communists and provided with weapons. In the midst of his hectic engagements, Irawat died of typhoid at Tangbaw village of Burma.

Meanwhile, on 21 October the Central Committee of the CPI announced withdrawal of the Telengana armed struggle. After eschewing the armed struggle the CPI began to take the democratic path of struggle and participated in the parliamentary elections held in 1952. In Manipur also an overground group of the CPI was formed. Thokchom Bira contested as a CPI candidate in the first parliamentary election of 1952.

The Secretary of the official faction was Thokchom Bira and that of the faction was Lamabam Ibobombi . With the inter-faction relation full of stress and strain This condition of parallel functioning of the two parties conti8nued till 1956. With this, a historical period full of twists and turns came to an end.

To conclude, Irawat was a multi-faceted personality. During his chequered life, he made far-reaching contributions in different aspects of Manipuri society. He was not only a leader of the Manipuri people, but by his unstinted work for the Surma Valley peasantry he became the beloved leader of the Surma Valley, viz., the Manipuris, the Bishnupriyas, the Bengalis and the Burmans. It is indeed an irony that while he was hunted in Manipur and led an underground life, the people of the Surma Valley had already honoured him as Jananeta Irawat . In fact Irawat's life was a legend.

Concluded....