Manipur (Kangleipak) and India's Freedom Struggle: Two lines with not coinciding point -(1)
Source: IT News
Imphal, April 22 2019:
Conglomerate of rebel group CorCom pay tribute to the martyrs who had laid down their lives fighting the British at different Warfield for the safeguarding the sovereignty of the erstwhile Kingdom with the coming of the Khongjom Day (April 23, 1891) .
A statement by Leibakngakpa Luwang , Media Co-ordinator, CorCom said that the courage of the ancestor during the 1891 Anglo Manipuri war is once more reminded with the coming of the Khonjom Day.
It said that the courage of the martyrs of the region who had fought the British empire to protect the sovereignty of the nation is a pride of the region and the brave heart of those days is once bring to our mind with the coming of the Khongjom Day.
The statement further said that the British got the full opportunity to directly interfere the internal affairs of the Manipur (Kangleipak) after an uproar occurred in the palace over the throne of Manipur in September 1891 .
That time the British India Empire had already occupied at almost all region after a change in the geo political scenario of the Kingdom since 1885 .
The interference of the British to the internal affairs of the Kingdom is the result for the killing of the British officers including Chief Commissioner of Assam J W Quinton and British Political Agent C.Grimwood in March 25, 1891 .
Following that Anglo- Manipuri (Kangleipak ) war occurred in 1891 and the Manipuri ( Kangleicha) were defeated and became a colony of British.
What is needed to be discussed is the political status of Manipur (Kangleipak) before 1891 .
The Indo- Manipur war may not lasted long but was the talk across the globe and has been discussed in both the houses of British Parliament.
The root of the Anglo Manipuri (Kangleicha) war is the interference of the then British India to the internal matter f Kangleipak.
The sovereign status of the Kangleipak is well define by the then international relationship with the British and the British India .
In 1762 Manipur established Treaty of Alliance with the Britih on Army and trade.
Manipur has been recognized as a sovereign independent nation by British India and Burma after they signed the treaty of Yandaboo.
Both the British and Burma assured not to disturb the territorial integrity and political independence of the Manipur Nation as according to the treaty of Yandaboo.
Pemberton report of 1835 submitted to the British authority in 1835 introduced Manipur (Kangleipak) as a Sovereign state in Asia situated between Assam and Burma.
Manipur (Kangleipak) had also been recognized as a Asiatic Sovereign Power in Keifa Singh case of 1762 and Sajowpa case of Calcutta
High Court .
R brown in his speech on the Statistical Account of Manipur of 1873 also stated that Manipur (Kangleipak) is a sovereign Independent Nation in 1873 .
Before the Anglo Manipur (Kangleipak) War, Memorandum of Argument submitted on behalf od Kullachandra Singh .
Regent (King) of Manipur (Kangleipak) and Tikendrajit Senapati (Commander -in-chief) submitted to British India in July 27, 1891 , Manipur(Kangleipak) had been introduced as a sovereign Independent nation.
When British Parliament passed the India Independence Act in August 1947, Section 7 (1) (b) said that India and Manipur should be recognized in equal juridical plane.
Thus British created a new nation called India and sovereignty of the Manipur (kangleipak) nation had been restored.
In August 14, 1947 Manipur became independent.
The erstwhile Nation of Manipur has in any way related with the newly formed India those days.
However the signing of Stand Still agreement in August 11, 1947 which was followed by the Instrument of Accession and the controversial signing of the Merger Agreement in September 21, 1949 are confusing the people by establishing make up stories of Manipur's relation with the newly form country call India.
However, those signed agreement were in no way valid as per the International law.
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