Titular king bats for pre-merger status
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 14 2018:
Restoration to pre-merger political status will solve all major socio-political issues Manipur is facing now.
All these issues are born after Manipur merged into the Dominion of India, said Leishemba Sanajaoba, the titular King of the State today.
He was speaking at a function held at Kangla in commemoration of the 72nd Independence Day of the State.
He also hoisted the flag of Manipur embossed with the symbol of Pakhangba.
"Manipur got independence before India on August 14, 1947 .
After it signed Instrument of Accession in 1947 and Merger Agreement on September 21, 1949, Manipur lost control over Defence, External Affairs and Communication to Union of India," he said and continued that this made the State lost its sovereignty.
The CIRCA, which organised the function under the theme "Celebrate the Spirit of Freedom" in its statement identified the Merger Agreement as the cause of swarm of conflicts and political issues which have plagued the State for years.
It asserted that restoration of "pre-merger political status" will form the framework for solution to almost all the issues the State is facing.
"Pre-merger political status will most importantly solve two major problems.
It will form the backbone in solving the insurgency problems and help resolve conflict between different communities," said CIRCA.
Reiterating its long standing demand, CIRCA said that the demand for restoration of pre-merger status is legitimate rights of the people of the State which have a long history of its own.
Celebrating the Independence Day today is important and people need to learn the history of the State.
The celebration was organised to inform youth and people of the State about the importance of the day, said the CIRCA statement.
People from across the State gathered at Kangla and commemorated the Independence Day.