June 18 Uprising to come alive on screen
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 03 2012: The bloody protest in Manipur that resulted in the June 18 incident in 2001, also known as the Great June Uprising, will soon come alive on screen.

Young filmmaker Mohen Naorem, who is making a documentary on the event, says his aim is to create awareness among youngsters so that they don't forget the past.

The 50-minute documentary titled "The Uprising" is not only a tribute to the 18 people who laid down their lives for the cause of protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur in 2001 but also to make the younger generation aware about the historical event.

"Eleven years on, who remembers those brave Manipuris? Can someone from the younger generation tell me the name of one hero who was killed in the Great June uprising? I doubt.

Only the family members remember their loved ones, who sacrificed their lives for the integrity of Manipur, their motherland," Naorem, the producer and director of the documentary, said.

"We are planning to use the real video footage of the 2001 incident collected from various sources," he said, adding that he is planning to release the film by August.

On June 18, 2001, Manipur witnessed the biggest mass uprising when people from different parts of the four valley districts came out to the streets opposing the decision of Government of India to extend the ceasefire with signed with Naga rebel group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) to areas in the state.

The Manipuris saw the move as the beginning of an attempt to slice territory out of their state to be handed over to Nagaland as part of the NSCN-IM's demand for a Greater Nagaland.

The protestors also torched the Manipur Assembly building, the Chief Minister's Secretariat building, the Speaker's residence, quarters of MLAs and other Government establishments.

A total of 18 protestors including a woman, three minors and 14 young men, were killed and many others injured that day when the security forces eventually opened fire to quell the frenzied mob.

A massive civil disobedience movement followed and state capital Imphal was under curfew for nearly a month until July 24 when the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee, announced that the ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) would once again be restricted only to Nagaland, as had been the case ever since it first came into force on August 1, 1997 .

Every year, thousands of people gather around the memorial built in memory of the 18 brave-hearts at Kekrupat, located at the northern side of historical Kangla Fort, and take a pledge together to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur at any cost.

"Ten years have already passed after the historic day.

We have been observing the day as Integrity Day every year after 2001.However, mere observance of the day is not sufficient," said Naorem, adding that his aim is to document the event for the coming generations in Manipuris.

"We want to teach the coming generation about the supreme sacrifice made by those 18 innocent people.

If we could not keep a proper record, their contributions would be lost to history.

We are not against any particular community or the government.

The sole purpose of this documentary is to pay a tribute to those noble souls who were much ahead of us in sacrificing for the motherland," he added.

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