Ideals And Commitments Of Pioneering Figure Extolled: Irabot remembered, hailed as leader of mass
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 27 2012:
Hijam Irabot was one leader of Manipur who sacrificed everything for the mass and led them by example, said resource persons addressing a commemorative function held in memory of the late leader at Kuki Inn today.
The commemorative function was organised by the Lamyanba Irabot Ningshing Thouram Observation Committee.
Addressing the function, AMWJU president A Mobi recalled that Irabot always put the mass before self throughout his struggle against colonialism and feudalism.
Quite contrary to Irabot, the so-called contemporary leaders have been working by keeping self before everything else and they are always eager for rewards of every little thing they do.
People remember Irabot in the month of September and various functions are being organised throughout the State during the same month in memory of Irabot.
But instead of advocating the ideas and principles of Irabot, some organisations have been organising memorial functions just to earn their own popularity, Mobi observed.
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Irabot was a genuine leader of the mass who shouldered momentous responsibilities during the crucial phase of British rule over Manipur and subsequent merger into the Indian Union.
Like in many other fields, Irabot was a pioneer in the field of education and he always stood against casteism and racism.
It was Irabot who first published the news journal Meitei Chanu in 1922.He was a social reformer, a player and a writer, all rolled into one.
Manipur today needs a leader of Irabot's calibre.
Irabot's struggle was against a single king.
But today there are so many kings while there is no leader like Irabot.
Along with remembering Irabot's ideals and deeds, the present generation need to follow the footsteps of Irabot, Mobi asserted.
Prof Joykumar of Manipur University said that no amount of discussion on Irabot's ideas would yield any positive result until and unless there is transparency and justice in the political system.
Advocate Angomcha Araba, noting that Irabot laid the foundation of Manipuri nationalism without any distinction among different communities, hailed him as a social engineer.
The discussion was moderated by senior citizen Arambam Lokendro.