Comrade Irabot and Capitalism
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IRCC & CPDM *

116th Irabot Birth Anniversary celebration held on 30th september 2012 at Iboyama Shumang Lila Shanglen, Imphal :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

(The following is the English section of the booklet Comrade Irabot and Capitalism. It is being circulated online to felicitate the candidates who are taking part in the Essay Writing Competition in Delhi scheduled for 28 September 2013. Original hard copy of the booklet is available at the IRCC office and in some book shops in Imphal.)

Comrade Irabot and Capitalism
© 2013
IRCC & CPDM

Published by
* Irabot Research and Commemoration Committee, Head Office Marxism Learning Centre, RIMS ROAD- Imphal.
* Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur), New Delhi

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Comrade Irabot (30 September 1896- 26 September 1951), who had a humble origin as a destitute orphan, was a leading figure of the social reform movement and political agitations in Manipur in the period 1934-1947. He was not lured by the prospect of royal prerogatives and official facilities including the prestigious post of membership to the Sadar Panchayat Court that were being offered to him for having married princess Khomdonsana. He resigned from the government job and fought against the various forms of oppression under feudalism and British colonial rule. He endeavoured towards the promotion of cultural identity, sports, literature and journalism. He was instrumental in the formation of reform organizations, students’ federation, peasant union, women’s organization and progressive party. By 1943 he was a confirmed communist and during his six years political exile till late 1946 he was politically active in parts of Assam. He was elected to the Manipur Assembly in 1948.

Because of the political ideology and mass support he was a threat to the ruling class who subsequently declared him a terrorist on 21 September 1948. He could not attend the inauguration of the Assembly. He subsequently formed Manipur Communist Party, went underground, carried out protracted armed resistance against the Indian State and died in the jungle in 1951. The legacy of comrade Irabot has been continuously survived with the State declaring holiday on 30 September to commemorate his birthday. He has been honoured with different titles such as Lamyaanba (Pioneer), Jana-Neta (Leader of the people) by the Cacharis, Simanta Prahari (Sentinel of the Frontier) by Hemango Biswas, Afoji (elder comrade in Burmese or, comrade Ahal to the armed Manipuri red guards) by the then Burmese Communist Party.

We are happy that the Irabot Research and Commemoration Committee (IRCC) and the Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur) had taken up the joint initiatives to publish the present edition entitled Comrade Irabot and Capitalism to honour the contribution of Comrade Irabot in the democratic movements. It contains the original work of Comrade Irabot entitled Capitalism and a foreword that briefly reviews it and raises certain interrelated questions in the present context of Manipur. We expect that this small publication contributes in making the tradition of constructive debate continuously alive.

Editorial Team
2 September 2013

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