CorCom boycotts President's visit
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 20 2016:
The CorCom has boycotted Pre-sident of India Pranab Mukher- jee's scheduled visit to Mani- pur (Kangleipak) on April 23 (Khongjom Day) .
Pointing out that Manipuri soldiers fought the Battle of Khongjom fully knowing that they had no chance of winning against the much supe- rior British Army, the CorCom has called upon the people of Manipur to ponder on the messages inherent in the historic battle.
A statement issued by CorCom media coordinator Ksh Yoiheiba remarked that the Battle of Khongjom demonstrated before the whole world that the Manipuri nation valued freedom more than anything else including life.
It was the Battle of Khongjom and its outcome which put the trajectory of Manipuri history in a different direction.
Disunity among Manipuri princes, the palace revolt of 1890 and friendship with British empire led to lost of Manipur's sovereignty.
Another major factor for the loss of Manipur at the Battle of Khongjom was the inability to mobilise all the hill and valley people..
This is one invaluable lesson taught by history for the ongoing struggle for freedom.
"History has taught us without any doubt that we cannot decide our future if there is no unity, if we cannot identify our enemies and if the hill people and plain people cannot unite together to fight external threats collectively", it asserted.
Khongjom Day is the perfect occasion for all the people to rectify their flawed and misplaced perspectives.
However all efforts to rectify these flaws have not been successful so far on account of the Government of India divisive policies, ignorance of such policies on the part some sections of both the hills and the valley, presence of reactionary groups and other groups who do not believe in unity.
However, President Pranab Mukherjee's scheduled visit to Manipur to inaugurate incomplete monuments and tourist complexes on Khongjom Day is an attempt to project the martyrs of Khongjom Battle as freedom fighters of India.
This is nothing but an insult to the martyrs of Khongjom Battle.
As such all the people of Manipur ought to boycott the President's scheduled visit, it asserted.
The CorCom alleged that it is President Pranab Mukherjee's India which is keeping Manipur under foreign occupation.