UPRFM to observe Black Day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 12 2020: The United People's Revolutionary Front of Manipur (UPRFM) has called a 16 hour general strike all over the State from 1 am to 5 pm of October 15 in order to observe the Black Day.

A press release issued by UPRFM information and publicity secretary L Rolin alias Thoupangba Meitei maintained that Manipur was a sovereign, independent Nation in South East Asia with a distinctive identity and written history spanning over 2000 years.

Manipur came under the occupation of British empire after the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 .

It regained its independence after the lapse of British paramountcy on August 14, 1947 .

Subsequently, a democratically elected National Assembly came into being with the first sitting of the Manipur Legislative Assembly on October 18, 1948 .

However, the Government of India invited king Bodhachandra to Shillong where he was put under house arrest.

There, the king was forced to sign the Manipur Merger Agreement on September 21, 1949.But the Manipur Legislative Assembly not only refrained from ratifying the agreement but also rejected it as it did not obtain consent of the democratically elected independent Government of Manipur.

Nonetheless, Manipur was forced into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949 .

Thus India usurped the independence of Manipur in the most undemocratic manner in blatant violation of all international laws, said the outfit.

Since then the Government of India has been following several diabolic policies aimed at destroying the identity of Manipur while its military forces have been indulging in rampant human rights violation including extrajudicial killings and torture, it alleged.

Now the Government of India has been strongly advocating one-Nation, one religion, one language, one Constitution theory which is driven by Hindu cultural hegemony and this is posing a serious challenge to all the indigenous people of WESEA, it said.

Such a perilous situation is an outcome of the Manipur Merger Agreement and the only way to secure the future of Kangleipak (Manipur) is to restore its independence, the UPRFM asserted.

It further informed that the general strike would not cover emergency services, religious activities and media.

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