SOREPA greets people on 1st Raising Day
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 30 2022: Ahead of its first Raising Day on October 1, the armed Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA) Kangleipak has extended revolutionary greetings to the people of WESEA and Kangleipak (Manipur) .

On the occasion, the outfit also offered revolutionary salute to all the revolutionaries who attained martyrdom during the liberation struggle of Kangleipak and extended revolutionary greetings to revolutionary groups fighting for liberation in WESEA.

In his message, SOREPA chairman Toijam Ibochou said that the outfit is able to carry forward the movement for restoration of Kangleipak's lost sovereignty with the support of the people despite being new.

While appealing to people to jointly find a new path of revolutionary struggle with the outfit to carry forward the ongoing sovereignty movement for Kangleipak with more vigour, the chairman called for a thorough discussion on Lamyanba Hijam Irabot's dream and the revolutionary movement he initiated to bring equality in the society after liberating Kangleipak from colonial power.

The SOREPA chairman recalled the life and works of Lamyanba Hijam Irabot and said that he was bom on September 30, 1896, went underground on September 21, 1948 and died on September 26, 1951.Hijam Irabot witnessed the first Nupi Laan of 1904 at a very young age and this ignited a strong zeal to bring equality in the society and chalked out strategy for the second Nupi Laan of 1939 as people's leader, the SOREPA chairman said, and maintained that Irabot's dedication and contribution to the society need to be fully understood at this time when revolutionary movement for Kangleipak's sovereignty is weakening.

While describing Hijam Iraibot as a true revolutionary leader who stood steadfastly to bring social equality and never to surrender until liberating Kangleipak till his last breath, the SOREPA chairman stressed the need for taking a firm decision afresh to carry forward revolutionary movement along with discussing Irabot's ability to sacrifice for the causes of society.

The SOREPA chairman also stressed the need for a collective understanding of Kangleipak's history and said that Kangleipak existed as an independent nation in South Asia and it is a historical fact that Kangleipak's independent history remained alive up to October 15, 1949 .

Findings of research works on oral history, folk tales, traditional songs (Khunung Eshei), Lai Haraoba, anthropology and archaeology proved that people of Kangleipak/Manipur existed as a liberal community since the time of Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age) and successive kings ruled Kangleipak since 33 AD.

Kangleipak remained under the administration of Awa from 1819 to 1826 and under colonial British from 1891 to 1947 .

The British left Kangleipak on the night of August 14, 1947 and Kangleipak had a democratically elected government in 1948 after the general election held as per Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947 .

However, India annexed Kangleipak on October 15, 1949 without the consent of the then Manipur national assembly, the SOREPA chairman said and stressed the need for the present generation to study historical events leading to India's forcible occupation of Kangleipak.

While asserting that education of new generation is important in identifying a society or community, the SOREPA chairman said that the present education system in Kangleipak is aimed only at lengthening and strengthening colonial administration.

Education provides knowledge about how a community/nation existed independently, survived with own production, how identity of a community/nation progressed and when historical mistakes were made.

As the present colonial administration fails to provide such knowledge to new generation, a new path to provide such knowledge has to be identified and this would be possible when teachers who could mould new generation to the right path come out courageously and guide the youth, Toijam Ibochou said in his message.

While highlighting present issues in the Kanglei society like the tussle for grasping meagre fund/benefit from the suppressive regime, ever increasing influx from outside and falling native people's land to them, conversion of Kanglei society into drug consuming one and colonial expansion by outsiders (Mayang) based on Hindutva ideology, the SOREPA chairman stressed the need for bringing unity among all indigenous people of Kangleipak and wage a united struggle to restore the lost sovereignty of Kangleipak/Manipur.

There is no way other than the united struggle for survival of all indigenes of Kangleipak, Toijam Ibochou said and called upon entire people of Kangleipak/Manipur to stop the tussle for grasping a handful of 'meat' thrown by suppressive regime and give no more chance for India to lengthen its suppressive regime though 'divide and rule' tactics.

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