SOREPA shares thoughts on raising day-II
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 01 2022:

Contd from previous issue

Pointing out that division of labour in Manipuri society was formalised as early as 1100 AD during the reign of Meidingu Loiyumba through a written document, the SOREPA Chairman asserted that everyone needs to study repeatedly how such an advanced Nation was merged into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949 without much difficulty.

Manipuri people fought valiantly and sacrificed everything to free the Nation from Burmese invaders during the Seven Years Devastation of 1819-1826.They again fought against British invaders in the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 .

After Manipur regained its freedom from British colonial rulers on August 14, 1947, a representative Government was formed in 1948 under the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 .

By then, the king was only the nominal head of the State and he had no political power.

As such, he had no authority to sign any agreement with another country without approval of the National Assembly, reads the Chairman's statement.

It then questioned why Manipur did not declare war against India and why the educated class of the day, with the exception of Lamyanba Hijam Irabot, joined the Manipur Congress and shouted in favour of Manipur's merger with India.

The present generation needs to study the difference between those patriots who fought bravely against foreign aggressors in 1826 and 1891 and those educated people who conspired to merge Manipur with India, it continued.

To understand this difference, one needs to study the true history of the land but it would be impossible for the younger generations to understand the true history of the land and also the contemporary situation as long as the existing school syllabus/curriculum remains in force, it said.

Saying that everything starts from education, Toijam Ibochou maintained that the present education system is aimed at subjugating the people of Manipur for eternity.

The syllabus and curriculum formulated by the Government of India is aimed at consolidating the alien rule, reads the Chairman's statement.

Even they cannot manipulate subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics which are based on natural truth, the syllabus imposed upon students do not reflect any of the State's political history, economy, the confederal polity under which different communities lived together in peace and Manipur/Kangleipak's foreign policy.

The present education system is a system which hypnotises the people of Kangleipak with Hindu superstitions while keeping them away from the historical materialism, it said.

Lai Haraoba which gives the idea and principle of how Kanglei Nation was built, is being suppressed by portraying it as animist culture, Ibochou remarked.

The younger generations must be taught the true history and reality of the society in order to inculcate critical consciousness among them.

All the knowledge and wisdom of how Manipur/Kangleipak survived as a sovereign Nation, how it nurtured its economy, how Kanglei identity was shaped, at which point of history Kanglei people committed blunders , how they became slaves and what should they do to regain the lost freedom should be gathered from education.

As no such knowledge is provided by the alien rule, it is essential to explore an alternative means.

Teachers need to come out boldly to lead the younger generations to the correct line of thinking and perception, the Chairman said.

Kanglei Nation must survive and protect its identity even if it is not independent.

But survival and protection of identity depends on production and accumulation of capital, reads the statement.

It said that development of a Nation cannot be realised without a healthy economy but the Kanglei people have been reduced to the status of beggars.

The present situation is a perfect example of hegemony.

Trapped in India's alleged divide and rule policy, indigenous communities have been blaming each other for all the common ills.

While the indigenous communities are engaged in internal bickerings, the alien rule has taken control of the whole country, it said.

Instead of fighting collectively against the alien rule, most of the indigenous communities have set up exclusive community based militant groups and they are engaged in blaming each other for different issues.

Lack of trust and inter-community conflicts are all outcomes of the Government of India's policies, the Chairman alleged.

He then called upon all the communities of the land to stand united, work collectively and wage the revolutionary movement as one.

Migration of people from mainland India, particularly Ganga valley to WESEA, South East Asia and South Asia is now a serious issue.

Easy means of survival and other economic factors are the main factors which have been pulling these people to WESEA and South East Asia, according to the statement.

Even though they came as labourers, they also act as formidable agents which threaten the identity of indigenous people.

They are also used as tools by the Government of India to spread colonialism and expand Hindu imperialism, it alleged.

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