CIRCA month long campaign continues
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 27 2015:
After its month-long protest campaign against the merger agreement of 1949 was launched on September 21 at Royal palace by flying the State flag (pre-merger flag) half-mast, Coalition for Indigenes' Rights Campaign (CIRCA), Manipur organised people's conventions and sit-in-protests at Sawombung, Yumpok and Tangkham.
The State flag was flown half-mast at these venues as well to protest the merger agreement, said a press release.
The protesters put up banners that read 'Manipur demands home rule', 'Restore pre-merger political status' and 'Manipur demands People's Council representing all indigenes' .
Similar people's conventions and sit-in-protests were also held at Kangu Chingjil Khunou and Tinsid road.
According to the speakers of these conventions, in a memorandum submitted to the then Governor of Assam on June 19, 1949, Praja Shanti, the then ruling party of the Manipur State Legislative Assembly, observed that Manipur would be suppressed by other rich States if the State merged with the Indian union.
A meeting of all the MLAs of hill areas was also held on the issue with S Lunneh in the chair on July 27, 1949 .
They resolved to oppose the merger agreement, the speakers said.
They also said that people of the current generation must not undermine the fact that hill leaders like Solel Haokip and Habi Mia used to oppose the merger agreement strongly.