Hiiam Irawat's bust unveiled at Tentha
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 21 2021:
A bust of revered leader Hijam Irawat sculpted under the financial sponsorship of social and cultural activist Rakesh Naorem was unveiled as part of the month- long observance of 125th birth anniversary of the public leader at Tentha Makha Leikai Youth Development Organisation (TMYDO) ground, Tentha Khunjao on Tuesday.
Attending the event, Rakesh Naorem said that the bust was installed with the hope of instilling the sense of nationalism and propagating ideologies of the late leader among the younger generation.
It was unveiled on Tuesday to mark the historic Pungdongbam Incident, which is also popularly known as Manipur Kanba Numit.
The incident occurred on September 21, 1948 when a large number of people from Lamlai area responded to the call of Hijam Irawat and came to attend a public meeting in Imphal against the move to create Purvanchal Pradesh, he recounted and stated that some of the marchers got killed in police firing.
Rakesh Naorem also reflected on how Irawat went underground after the incident as police-were searching for him and how he died in an interior village of the then Burma on September 26, 1951.Khapri Ngashigi Industries Pvt Ltd chairman and MD Khangembam Priyojit, TMYDO Tentha president Naorem Naocha and Irarhdam Financial Solution Pvt Ltd and MDF Group of Company CEO & chairman Huidrom Kullachandra attended the occasion as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Imphal East ZP up-adakshya Dr Kshe-tri Tama, Eteen Computerised Eye Testing and Eye Cafe Centre proprietor Dr Maibam Eteen, M/s Purnima Enterprises proprietor Ningombam Ranibala, Bishnupur Higher Secondary School principal Wahengbam Hemabati, AIR Imphal former announcer Keke Wahengbam, social worker Khundrakpam Kanba and Like Minded Group (LMG) active member Salam Bhajani were also present at the event,'which began with rendering of a song dedicated to Hijam Irawat by folk singer Baby Chanchan.
Gift exchange among residents of Tentha Khongbal and Tentha Khunjao, folk songs, folk dances and Thang-Ta performances by different artistes were the main highlights of the event.