'Centre trying to harm State interest'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 21 2018:
The Central Government has been trying to harm the integrity of Manipur by proposing policies such as Article 371A or Supra State formation which would destroy the social fabric of the State, Manipur University retd Professor W Nabakumar has alleged.
He also observed that many of the issues prevailing in the State could have been resolved if negotiations had been performed through the context of pre-merger status.
He then pointed out that the mention of certain words like Meitei Chauvinism history in the 213th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee reflects the Central Government's prolonged practice of trying to appraise Manipur in its own narratives.
Speaking as the chief guest in the National Repentance Day observation which was organized by Coalition for Indigenes' Right Campaign Manipur (CIRCA) at Sagolband Nepra Menjor Pukhri Mapal community hall today, Nabakumar underscored the importance of recreating the social history and narratives of Manipur by highlighting the real facts and incidents which took place but have been missing from the history created by elites.
Further terming the Merger Agreement between Manipur and the Central Government at Shillong on September 1949 as the political and psychological assassination of the people of the State, the retired Professor asserted that the people of Manipur are being made to think and live within a geopolitical context given by India till date.
As part of this, a dependency culture has been developed among the people of the State in which the people depend entirely on the products of India and even the leaders of the State have to approach the Central leaders for resolving each and every issues and problems which occur in the State.
Hence, there is an urgent need for recreating a true history of the State with the inclusion of all the facts, such as the pre-merger status of Manipur when it was an independent kingdom, at this hour, Nabakumar said adding that reminiscence of ugly incidence and social traumas of a society is much needed for a society to move forward.
Stressing on the 213th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee, he said that the insertion of the word "Meitei Chauvinism history" in the report manifest the Central Government's attitude of trying to infuse its fabricated history and appraise in its own narratives.
He went on to state that if Manipur is Meitei Chauvinistic by nature then many minor tribes/communities in the State might have vanished or would have disappeared many years back.
The lost of identities of some tribes in the State is the influence of merging Manipur into India as well as globalization, he added.
Delivering the keynote address, CIRCA convenor Somorendro Thokchom conveyed that the organization along with the people of the State has been observing National Repentance Day since 2016 in the State.
Saying that the alleged coercive signing of the Merger Agreement by Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh in 1949 at Shillong was considered as the most unfortunate incident in the history of Manipur, the convenor maintained that the main objective of observing the day is to make the people, particularly the younger generations, understand the facts of the State.
The function was also attended by retired Deputy Registrar Dr Oinam Kullabidhu, cultural activist Ningthouja Lancha, Nepra Menjor Pukhri Mapal Youth Development Association former president Khwairakpam Bira and joint secretary Heikrujam Megha as the presidium members.
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