Hijam Irawat and political movements in Manipur and the Surma valley
- Part 3 -

Dr R.K. Sanajaoba Singh *

118th Birth Anniversary of Lamyanba Irabot at Pishum, Imphal on September 30 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Hijam Irawat and political movements in Manipur and the Surma valley

(iii) Women's organization

Irawat worked not only among men, but also among womenfolk. Wherever he went he built up the Mahila Atmaraksha Samiti (MAS). The units of the MAS at Patharkandi, Hailaakandi9, Silchar, Lakhipur, Ramnagar etc. which were built up under his guidance were strong units.

In the second half of 1944 while Irawat was under detention in the Silchar jail, an artificial crisis of scarcity of yarn occurred. A massive agitation was launched against the scarcity of yarn by the womenfolk consisting of the Meitei, the Bishnupriya and the Burman communities under the initiative of the Mahila Atmaraksha Samiti. Irawat hadplannedthe agitation and also guided it from the jail. WLomen from Ramnagar Tooko. Borkhola, Joypur,Boaljur etc. participated in the said agitation.

In the course of the agitation Irawat sent Tonjam Sona to visit the venues where Jayadeva singing were performed during the Kang festival of the Manipuri community. Tonjam Sona took the opportunity to deliver speeches to the audience either before the start of the Jayadeva singing or at the close of it. Thoussands of women assembled at the Gandhibag (formerly known as Thangampat). The women masses went on a deputation to the Deputy Commissioner of the Cachar district. The D.C. arranged to make the yarn available to the weavers after a week.

On 28 February the ban imposed by the Manipur State Durbar on Irawat lapsed. After taking leave of his beloved comrades, Irawat left Silchar for Manipur on 3 March 1946.

III.POST-SECOND WORLD WAR POLITICAL MOVEMENT IN MANIPUR

Having arrived in Manipur on 4 March 1946, Irawat met Laikhuram Khagendrajit and Karam Bidur and the three of them discussed to organize a meeting of the public workers on 7 March 1946. On the said day a meeting of the public workers was held at the residence of Bidur at Wangkhei, Imphal, which reorganized and expanded the Manipur Praja Mandal (MPM). The meeting passed resolutions on the pitiable condition of the roads in the Top area and other matters. A Working Commnitteeof 30 members was constituted. Bhuban Rajkumar, Gouramani , Hijam Irawat and Dr. Leiren were elected as the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary respectively of the MPM.

After returning from Cachar, Irawat could attend the meetings of the Working Committee of the twice, the first on 5 April 1946 and the second on 15 April 1946. After 15 April Irawat was expelled from the NMM without giving him any information.

On 5 April 1946 a joint meeting of the Nikhil Manipuri Mahasabha and the Manipur Praja Mandal were held at Wangkhei, Imphal. The said joint meeting passed several resolutions on the post-war civic and economic problems. The sixth resolution dealing with the political questions reflects Irawat's perspective Irawat's perspective on the political identity of Manipur as well as his co-incidence with the leaders of other political streams. The English translation of the sixth resolution which was signed by Irawat as the Secretary of the MPM was forwarded to the Viceroy of India and the Governor of Assam on 11 April 1946.

The forwarded resolution is cited below:-

"Resolution No. 6:

(a) It is already a known fact that Manipur will also be included in the North Eastern Frontier Province which is going to be constructed according to the plan proposed by Prof. Coupland. This so called North Eastern Frontier Province will neither be included in India nor in Burma. This is a reduction of a part from Assam and a loss to India. It is a plan to prolong the suppression of Manipur and the hill districts which are dependent, undeveloped and are not yet given their due rights. This meeting strongly protests against this plan and the proposal as well.

(b) This meeting resolves that Manipur will remain as a FREE MANIPUR STATE inside FREE INDIA where the Manipuris will be able to freely develop their own educational, cultural, political and economical aspects freely. If those Manipuris residing in the neighbouring places of Manipur are willing to come inside the Free Manipur State enjoying equal rights then their places will also be included inside the boundary of the Free Manipur State. And the people of Free Manipur State will decide by votes whether such a Free Manipur State will be alone or will affiliate to any province of Free India."

On 21 August 1946 a joint meeting of the Manipur Praja Sammelani and the MPM resolved that in order to cope with the emerging political situation, the two organizations be united into a strong political organization and be named the Manipur Praja Sangha (MPS). A Working Committee of 21 members were elected. Bhubansana Rajkumar was elected the President, Gouramani Sharma as the Vice-President, Irawat as the General Secretary, T. Ibotombi and T. Gouramani as the Joint Secretaries and Pratap as the Cashier.

The Manipur Praja Sangha was basically composed of urban activists. For organizing the rural masses, Irawat concentrated on building up the Manipur Krishi Sammelani. On 16 May 1946, at the second session of the Manipur Krishi Sammelani, Irawat was elected as the President. Maimom Madhumangol and Okram Ibomcha Kabiraj were re-elected as the General Secretary and the Assistant Secretary respectively. The second session changed the name of the organization from 'Manipur Krishi Sammelani' to 'Manipur Krishak Sabha' (MKS). The MKS became became the single peasants' organization of Manipur.

On 4 October 1946 a joint meeting of the three political parties, viz., (i) the NMM, (ii) the MPS, and (iii) the MKS was held at Imphal to form a single political party of Manipur. However, the meeting turned out to be a conspiracy to negate Irawat from the political life of Manipur. Irawat's nomination from either the MPS or the MKS was rejected. He was also not allowed to speak at the said meeting. Irawat walked out of the meeting along with his supporters of the MPS and the MKS. Only the twelve persons who stayed in the hall formed the Manipur State Congress. The NMM ceased to exist from that day.

The MPS was reorganized after Bhubansana joined the Manipur State Congress The re-organized MPS celebrated the anniversary of the Nupilan on 12 December 1946 at Keishamthong, Imphal. This was the first-ever celebration of the Nupilan held in Manipur. The MPS prepared and distributed a cyclostyled list of those protest-marchers who were hurt as well as those who were imprisoned in the course of the agitation.

On that very day Maharaja Bodhachandra announced his declaration for the formation of a Costitution Making Committee. The MPS organized protest meetings in January 1947 against the biased, ambiguous and undemocratic manner in which the election was notified. Inspitge of these protest meetings the election of the Constitution Making Committee was held on 20 January 1947. In October 1947 the draft Constitution was completed. In March 1948 Rules for Election under the new Constitution were completed. On 9 April 1948 the programme of work for the Manipur State Election,1948 was notified. The election to the Manipur State Assembly was to begin from 11 June 1948.

After the election to the Manipur State Assembly held in June-July 1948 the party-wise break-up of the total seat of 53 is – (1) The Manipur State Congress – 14, (2) The Manipur Krishak Sabha – 5, (3) The Socialist Party – 3, (4) The Manipur Praja Santi Sabha – 12, (5) Hill Areas – 18, and (6) Nominated – 1.The MKS contested in 23 seats and won in five. The following are the elected candidates of the MKS:-

1. Hijam Irawat - Utlou
2. Takhellambam Bokul - Pangei
3. Ayekpam Angahal - Nambol
4. Maimom Madhumangol- Pungdongbam
5. Thokchom Shyamo - Kakching

To be continued....