Imphal, October 07: Contd from previous issue

RK Sanayaima: ...alliance was Praja Santi Sabha.

They were not in favour of Manipur's merger with India.

The GOI knew this and the instrument of accession �.yes, it's on record� and the instrument of accession detained the power of the king to reject any future constitution of India.

Given these two factors, the ruling party was not in favour of merger with India.

The king was also in favour of retaining a distinct identity of Manipur and having retained the sovereign power, under the instrument of accession, the GOI had still annexed Manipur in 1949 because 1950, January 26, (Indian) Constitution would become effective.

Manipur had to be annexed before that.

You may remember that Manipur didn't send any representative to the Indian constituent assembly.

We're not a signatory to the Indian constitution.

So it had to be annexed from India's viewpoint.

So till then, we had regarded a so-called merger agreement to be a legally not a valid document, extracted under duress, keeping the king under house arrest for three days and forcing him to sign the merger agreement.

The elected assembly did not ratify the so-called merger agreement.

It was simply dissolved.

VK ShashiKumar: So even half a century later, lets say, even if there was good governance and no corruption, things would have been the same? The aspiration would have taken the character of an armed struggle?
RK Sanayaima: Yes yes�essentially.

It's not because of corruption, it's not because of unemployment or economic backwardness that we are now engaged in an armed struggle.

It is the legitimate national aspirations of our people that is driving us to fight against a big country like India, which has the third largest army in the world.

VK ShashiKumar: But aren't you also a beneficiary of the system that you fight and are opposed to?
RK Sanayaima: Beneficiary in the sense that is due to us.

Having ruled Manipur for the last 56 years, in one sense it is a lost opportunity for us for development.

Whatever the Indian government gives as grants, budgetary grant to the Manipur government, it is entitled to our people.

It is not even a fraction of what is entitled to our people.

The system has failed so any amount of money being pumped into it will not deliver.

VK ShashiKumar: We're told that a little component of that money also comes to you.

Do you use that for development purposes?
RK Sanayaima: Very much, very much.

We use that.

If you go to rural areas you'll find many projects being implemented by us � irrigation systems, water supply streams, even roads in interior areas � we have implemented.

Which otherwise would have gone to the pockets of those authorities.

Comment