The sacrificial lamb called Manipur

Samarjit Kambam *

United Committee Manipur (UCM) inspection of India-Myanmar border area near Moreh :: August 8 - 10, 2013

"Bring me your daughter
To the slaughter"
-Iron Maiden

It's true, Manipur, the small daughter state of India is being decapitated bit by bit, just like an animal in a slaughterhouse.

Firstly, the first Prime Minister of India Pt Jawaharlal Nehru gave away the naturally resourceul Kabaw Valley to Burma now known as Myanmar including the Ningthi Turel, a bountiful river in terms of precious elements such as gold, other metals and varieties of precious stones as a way of negotiating a truce of peaceful-co-existence as a neighbouring country with Indian Union as well as flaunting that India has embraced democracy since its independence from British Colonial Rule. After that Djuko valley has gone to Nagaland. Now, it's Holenphai village or Choro village's turn to be cut and thrown to Myanmar.

The issue regarding Kabaw valley was quite complicated. Like an illegitimate or an on and off relationship Kabaw valley was possessed by Manipur and again by the erstwhile Burma when the Burmese invaded and occupied Manipur creating a Seven Years' Devastation.

But King Gambhir Singh by making an alliance with the British drove away the Burmese and re-conquered Kabaw valley and became an intrinsic part of Manipur but at a price i.e. the nefarious design of intervention in the affairs of Manipur by playing the cat and mouse game by the imperialist British and its tradition of divide and rule policy.

Since then, the valley continued to be a bone of contention between Manipur and Myanmar thereby giving the Burmese renewed zeal and vigour to claim it as theirs thus intensifying the gravity of the issue of Kabaw Valley. As per historical facts Kabaw valley, no doubt was a part of Manipur during the 18th century when Manipur was a princely state.

At this juncture, I sincerely thank Prof. Budha Kamei, a member of post-doctoral fellowship of Manipur University for his effort in depicting a crystal clear historical viewpoint of Kabaw Valley through his intensive research and making known to the public that Kabaw valley was very much a part and parcel of Manipur.

The Burmese had already seen a soft corner in the great Indian democracy, little did they knew that the softness lies only at the outside whereas internally it a kind of democracy with draconian laws such as AFSPA(Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958) where the security forces are licensed to kill innocent civilians at the slightest pretext of suspicion while giving away precious land to other countries to portray that democracy is a liberal and generous entity with Manipur always being the loser.

Another internal issue is the Djukow Valley that once belonged to Manipur but now has become a part of Nagaland. "Never forgive and injury, never forget an insult" is what the neighbouring states or countries of Manipur are and "Forgive and Forget", that is what we the Manipuris are, an inherent inborn trait. The issue of Djukow Valley has already been forgotten, kept inside the cold storage for forever and a day and the incongrous and inconsiderate leaders forgiven.

Experts revealed that the area of Holenphai Village adjoining border pillar No. 76 is the summative assessment of the size of the district of Churachandpur. It has been claimed that this portion of land was about to go away alongwith Kabaw Valley but was strategically saved by some patriotic group of people.

Meanwhile, the proposal of barter of Choro Village of Ukhrul district in place of Holenphai by the government is totally against the will of the villagers. The very term 'barter' indicates the high probability that things are not going to end, which can be clearly made out that either one of the village is definitely going to be sacrificed to Myanmar.

India is far ahead than Myanmar in almost every field be it economics, defence, infrastructural development, education etc. In fact, India is much more powerful than Myanmar.

The maintenance of sovereignty of India lies with the central government the power of which is vested with the President of India. India can flex its muscles as is utmostly required so that no part of Manipur goes to Myanmar.

Questions keep on cropping up whether the central government is maintaining import-export trade with Myanmar at the cost of Manipur. The people of Manipur are still shocked at the loss of Kabaw Valley.

Its really unfortunate that Pt Jawaharlal Nehru without thoroughly going through the insights and historical relevance of Manipur had hastily acted that the problem of a long uncharted border issue between Manipur and Burma has been solved amicably by giving away the Kabaw valley.

It is high time that we the sons of soil of Manipur regardless of caste, creed or community instead of going for separate homelands stand together and pressurise the central government and carry out together whatever is deemed fit and necessary to protect parts of mother Manipur from losing to other neighbouring countries.