CorCom calls 18 hours gen strike
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14 2016:
While calling upon all the people to observe the National Black Day on October 15 as in the previous years, the CorCom has called a general strike all over the State from October 14 midnight till 6 pm of October 15 .
A statement issued by CorCom media coordinator Ksh Yoiheiba asserted that the day Manipur was forcibly merged into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949 would remain unforgettable to all the people of Manipur (Kangleipak).
Since the alleged forced merger, Manipuri people have been living a wretched life under the alleged colonial yoke.
October 15 is one day on which all the people need to stand united against the Indian rule, it said.
The Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 was fully drafted by July 26, 1947 ahead of the departure of British colonial rulers from Manipur.
After the first democratic election was held in June 1948, a Council of Ministers was sworn in on October 18, 1948 at the Darbar Hall of Kangla.
These events marked the establishment of a democratic Government in Manipur.
However, the Government of India kept the king of Manipur under house arrest at Shillong, and the king was forced to sign the Manipur Merger Agreement on September 21, 1949.Then Manipur was annexed into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949, it alleged.
A number of public meetings and conferences were held across Manipur and the whole population of Manipur were of the common view that Manipur was taken within the Indian Union not through merger but annexation.
After referring to several international laws and covenants, all those public meetings and conferences resolved that the Manipur Merger Agreement had no constitutional or legal validity.
None of the UN systems permit aggression or annexation.
On the other hand, the UN permits all annexed Nations to fight for their right to self determination through armed liberation movements, if necessary, further said the outfit.
The UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to self determination to all colonised people.
It was on the strength of this covenant that Greece was separated from Ottoman Empire and Belgium from Netherlands.
It also paved way for the independence of Bangladesh , Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, North Korea and Palestine.
The common aspiration of the people of Manipur to live as an independent Nation is their birth right.
The ongoing armed struggle against the Government of India is a genuine liberation movement of which the primary objective is to free the masses from the alleged colonial yoke, it asserted.
It then appealed to all the people to support and join the liberation movement.
It further called upon the people to cease all daily activities including business activities, official works, games and sports and entertainment programmes during the general strike.
However, emergency services, media, religious functions and medical services would not be covered by the general strike.