YPPM alleges flaws in retired Brigadier's thesis
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 12 2022: Informing that a thesis entitled 'Socio Economic Roots of Insurgency in North East India' published by retired Brigadier Sushikumar Sharma contains several factually incorrect statements regarding Manipur, Youth for Peace and Progress, Manipur (YPPM) has demanded the professors, under whose guidance the thesis paper was published, to clarify within a week.

Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club here on Sunday, YPPM convener Jurist Khumancha said that unfounded claims of 'the total area of Manipur that was merged into India - being only 700 square miles, and tribal chiefs not being subjects of the king of Manipur' are doing the rounds on social media.

While there is no official source to back the claim, it was found that the claim was based on a thesis published by retired brigadier Sushikumar Sharma in 2015 under the guidance of former Manipur University vice-chancellor professor Amar Yumnam and Dr Sadananda Sahoo.

The White Paper on Indian States published by the Government of India in 1950 clearly stated that the total area of Manipur at the time of merger was 8620 square miles.

Shimla Record Foreign and Political Department 1929 document available with the National Archives of India also stated that all the tribal villages in the hills are under the king of Manipur, he pointed out, while adding that these records cannot be challenged by a mere thesis.

However, it is unfortunate for a thesis to create such misrepresentation of history, he said while demanding the professors who provided guidance in publishing the thesis to clarify within one week.

He also demanded the writer of the thesis to delete the factually incorrect portions from his thesis.

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