CorCom salutes Lamyanba Irabot
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 25 2015 :
On the occasion of the Lamyanba Hijam Irabot's 64th death anniversary (September 26), the Coordination Committee (CorCom) has saluted the late revolutionary leader.
According to a statement issued by CorCom, it was Hijam Irabot who inspired the people of Manipur for a revolution against the oppressive rule of monarchy.
Lamyanba Irabot worked tirelessly for a mass movement of unarmed peasants and workers against the oppressive monarchy and British colonialism.
He stood firm against the British colonial policy of keeping the hills and valley of Manipur under separate administrations as well as against religious discrimination based on the notion of purity and impurity.
He was a source of inspiration for the Second Nupi Lan fought against British colonial rulers.
Eventually, the British colonial rulers and the monarchy which was under their control made all efforts to suppress the civil movement spearheaded by Lamyanba Irabot.
Following the Pundongbam incident where some people who came to attend a meeting of peasants and workers at MDU Hall were killed in police firing on September 21, 1948, Irabot went underground.
Soon, Irabot launched an armed campaign with the objective of abolishing the monarchy and set up a republic.
Irabot's vision of Manipur was a united Manipur where all man are equal and there is no discrimination between hill people and plain people.
Guided by his firm conviction to set up a republic and an egalitarian society, Irabot established closed links with communist leaders of neighbouring countries.
However, serious differences cropped after the Calcutta youth summit of 1948 following which Irabot went closer to the Burma Communist Party and other Communist revolutionaries of South East Asia who were then undertaking armed revolution.
But Irabot breathed his last at Tangbo-Sedo in Burma on September 26, 1951 due to a serious illness without achieving his political goal and vision.
For his supreme sacrifices for the cause of the common masses, Irabot today is revered as the genuine leader of the people.
All the people of Manipur need to follow the footsteps of Lamyanba Irabot in order to save Manipur from the present predicament, asserted CorCom.