CorCom salutes Haipou Jadonang
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 27 2021:
The Coordinating Committee (CorCom) has paid rich tributes to Haipou Jadonang ahead of of his 90th death anniversary which falls on August 29 .
In a statement, CorCom said that Haipou Jadonang was a spiritual leader and a political activist who fought against the colonial design of the mighty British.
After the erstwhile Manipur kingdom was defeated in the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891, the British expanded control over the kingdom, unleashing a reign of oppression against the indigenous people, the conglomerate of proscribed groups said.
Saying that Haipou Jadonang, irked over the imposition of alien rules in hill areas, launched movements to drive off the British and establish an independent Makan Gwangdi, the CorCom continued that the spiritual leader also contributed much to preserve the cultural identity of Zeliangrong.
Haipou Jadonang was born in 1905 to Thiudai Malangmei and Tabonliu Dangmei of Rongmei tribe in Puilon (Kambiron) Khul, Tamenglong district.
Haipou Jadonang, who started the famous Hereka religious movement, was the first from among the hill people to assure liberalisation of Zeliangrong people from the colonial rule of the British, it said.
Jadonang also firmly believed in the equal treatment of all humans and for this he was also considered a pioneer of human rights, it said.
The CorCom further said that Jadonang was imprisoned by SDO SJ Duncan in 1928 for challenging the British rule at Tamenglong.
Saying that Jadonang became an influential leader by 1929-30 and challenged the oppressive measures of the colonial ruler who imposed alien rules on the hill people such as forced labour, house tax etc, the conglomerate said that Jadonang, however, was arrested from Lakhipur on February 19, 1931 by Assam police and handed over to British Political agent JC Higgins for waging war against the British.
The leader who was only 26 at the time was brought to Imphal on March 29, 1931 and hanged five months later at the bank of Nambul river on August 29, 1931 .
After the British left, Manipur (Kangleipak) was annexed by India in 1949, the CorCom said and added that the subjugation of India is being felt by the people of all classes of Manipur today.
The CorCom appealed to people of both hills and valley to work unitedly to restore the sovereignty of Manipur (Kangleipak) .