Colonial system throttling Manipuris: CorCom
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 30 2022: The proscribed Coordination Committee (CorCom), the conglomerate of underground groups operating in Manipur, has extended revolutionary greetings to the people of Manipur (Kangleipak) particularly the working class/peasant section with the coming of May Day on May 1 .

According to a CorCom statement, May Day is observed throughout the world to commemorate the movement launched by peasants against capitalists at Chicago's Haymarket on May 1, 1886 .

The main slogans of the movement were reduction of daily working hours to eight and increase wages for labourers to make them lead a decent life.

The movement was also against exploitation of labourers by capitalists for their mere profits, the CorCom statement recalled.

While placing its views to the people particularly peasants who are being oppressed and suppressed by the 'colonial' administration, the statement issued by its publicity committee said that coming of May Day reminisces not only the system where a handful of rich people grabbed global wealth while exploiting working class people for profit but also the courage of working class people who fought against the exploitive system.

The day also reminds us of the inhuman conditions in which working class people live, the statement said, adding that May Day is being observed to develop ideas and thoughts among working class people to effectively challenge exploitative system of the rich people.

It also said that May Day observance is not just about reduction of working hours and increasing wages but also for protection of rights of the working class people.

Manipur (Kangleipak) is getting into a system based on global contribution due to more than 100 years of colonial rule including by the British, the CorCom said, adding that the two-phase colonial rule is being witnessed in WESEA region including Manipur.

The first being the British and the present being under India.

Administration under these two colonial rulers might be different but could be termed as continuation of the system based on global contribution.

Though Manipur (Kangleipak) regained sovereignty for two years; due to numerous changes brought by World War II; India replaced the British as colonial ruler in a hurried way after the latter left.

Due to changing of colonial ruler under a system, people of Manipur are still unable to decide their own fate and live a decent lifestyle of their own.

Since the coming of imperialist India's contributory based system, people of Manipur (Kangleipak) are facing immense difficulties in sustenance day by day.

Being a captive market of colonial ruler, no other class of people emerged in Manipur (Kangleipak) except the middle class and working class while a handful of administrators are benefiting at the cost of the people.

After witnessing two Nupilaan against unseen exploitation of people, tactics of human exploitation are being changed by colonial ruler.

Accordingly, many people who spoke for betterment of the society/land have either faced trouble or lost their lives.

However, open torture of human beings on wealth/properties issues are not seen nowadays.

It will not be wrong to say that increasing number of street vendors and emergence of scores of men and women as daily wage workers are result of the system which exploits human by human.

One unique characteristic of working class people of Manipur (Kangleipak) is that most of them work under private individuals on daily wage basis but this indeed is reducing entire 'Kangleicha' to the lowest level under the existing system while blocking every angle of their economic activities.

Many women are being pushed to become street vendors due to distortion of financial condition of the family and emergence of women labourer, passenger driver are all result of the existing colonial system of administration.

Unfortunately, the so called leaders of the land are attempting to portray these women as courageous and shouldering responsibility equally with men in earning livelihood.

This indeed is an attempt to conceal identity and colour of the existing system, the CorCom statement said, and maintained that increasing manual labour charge in paddy fields and faming activities showcased the degree of distortion of Manipur (Kangleipak)'s economy.

On the issue of widespread poppy cultivation in hills across Manipur (Kangleipak), CorCom said that huge money even from abroad are invested for planting poppy and poor people inhabiting hills of the land are being utilised as labourers.

Poppy cultivation not only affects environment but also put innocent poor people into trouble while a handful of people earn huge money.

Despite knowing that poppy cultivation is not good, poor labourers have no other option as they have no alternative means of livelihood.

While urging people to understand reasons behind Manipur (Kangleipak) having a fractured economy and their real enemies are colonial government and corporates, CorCom strongly called upon working class people and peasants to fight collectively against these enemies.

Suffering of the working class people and peasants could only be brought to an end when colonial and contributory based systems are abolished.

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