Imphal, April 24 2010: Greeting the people and paying homage to all those who have laid down their lives for the sake of safeguarding Manipur, chairman of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) Toijam Achouba has called for unity to forge ahead in the path of freedom struggle.

In a statement, Achouba said that there should be mutual co-operation, support and respect among the various revolutionary groups fighting for the same cause of freedom.

He said that there is no difference of ideology between the Maoists and the revolutionary groups in Manipur which are currently fighting for freedom.

"So, we should help them whenever possible" .

There would also be no fear and apprehension over the possible loss of identity of the Mongoloids in the North East, if the revolutionary groups in Manipur join hands.

Only then we can extend helping help to them and they would reciprocate in the same manner.

So, it is time to come out of our respective narrow parochial outlook and think about unity so as to move head in the path of freedom struggle, Achouba said.

Recalling about his revolutionary struggle, Achouba said that at the time when he had the first nagging fear that Manipuri race may be obliterated, 'Mayang' language was in used in every thing right from performance of Manipuri dance, songs, Khubak Eshei, Gouraleela, Shansenba, Ras Leela of Radha-Krishna, offering Tarpon as well as in the rites and rituals of Shradh and Ashti Chandan.

The dominance of 'Mayang' language was so much that the traditional Lai-Haraoba of the Manipuri people was not spared from its influence by way of vulgarising it.

The vulgarisation was such that no family member could watch together the Lai Haraoba programme, he maintained.

This was around the year 1956-57, Achouba said, adding that these were some of the disturbing trends he had witnessed during his stay in the remote village.

But more surprises were in store for him when he came to Imphal for study where the notion of mangba-sengba and untouchability was followed to the extreme.

The custom of taking a piece of bone taken from the forehead of a dead person to be taken to Brindavan was also more stringent in Imphal.

That time the number of people following the indigenous religion was few and they are marginalised.

Distortion of the history of Manipur was also perpetration in system of education of that time wherein the Manipuris were described as the descendants of Arjun and Brabhrubahol, Achouba recalled..

But by 1962, Achouba said, he have started questioning on the social norms imposed upon the people were right or wrong.

He also started visiting the Manipuri scholars who were 'discarded' by the socalled mainstream people but were earnestly trying to preserve the real character of the Manipuri culture.

From these interactions, he learnt that Manipuri dances, Thang-Ta, Pung-Cholom, Sagol Kangjei, etc have nothing to with Mayang and these cultural elements have remained intact since 1709.Moreover, Manipuri people have their own written administrative rules and regulations in the form of Loyumba Shilyen.

From these scholars, Achouba further said that he also learnt the territorial boundary of Manipur had been tampered over and over again by those who have fallen into the grips of the 'Mayang' and British rulers, the image of the Lainingthou Sanahami at Wangoi had been destroyed and original Manipuri scripts have been replaced.

Along with these desecration, divide and rule policy had been played to create disunity among the people.

This ultimately led to the 'seven years desertation' in the hands of Burmese and subsequently lost of sovereignty in the hands of the British after the defeat in Khongjom battle.

Afterward, when the British left, Manipur regained its independence in 1947 but forcefully merged with India, Achouba said.

However, with the spirit of revivalism and patriotism slowly gaining ground, Manipuri people have started commemorating seven years desertation, Khongjom war, patriots' day, Nupi lan, etc and raised the demand for setting up Sanamahi temple Board.

Along with that movement had been launched for inclusion of Manipuri language in the 8th Schedule and a State level conference held been held in 1969 for the revival of the original Manipuri scripts.

At that time, everyone work together irrespective of their parties and they used to enjoy the support of the people.

But is it not so anymore, after some of the armed revolutionaries have become the kept men of the Ministers, Achouba lamented.

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