CorCom salutes Khongjom War heroes
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2024:
On the occasion of Khongjom Day, the CorCom has saluted all the heroes who fought against the invading British forces in the Anglo-Manipur War 1891 .
The CorCom has also paid rich tributes to all those people who have paid with their lives in the collective effort to protect the integrity of Manipur from the ongoing aggression.
It has also conveyed solidarity to all those people who sustained injuries and the families who have been displaced from their homes.
The Battle of Khongjom is a glorious legacy of those brave sons of the soil.
The battle fought against the mighty British continues to inspire the present generation to live in freedom, the CorCom remarked in a statement issued by its Publicity Committee.
The Khongjom River continues to tell the tale of those brave heroes who firmly believed that a short life of freedom is much better than a long life of bondage, it said.
The CorCom asserted that the Battle of Khongjom was fought to protect the freedom of Manipur and it was not a war fought to defend the freedom of India.
After Manipur lost its sovereignty on April 27, 1891, British officer Maxwell became the ruler of Manipur.
Manipur witnessed the first Nupi Lan in 1904 followed by Jadonang's movement (after 1921), Irabot's movement (after 1935) and the second Nupi Lan (1939), all against the British colonial regime.
After Manipur was allegedly annexed by India in 1949, Hijam Irabot launched an armed movement.
Since then, an armed liberation movement has been going on and many freedom fighters have laid down their lives to win back the lost sovereignty of Manipur, it said.
On the other hand, after its annexation by India, Manipur was reduced to the status of a dependent State economically and the State is being subjected to systematic oppression, it alleged.
With the Government of India following a divide and rule policy and supporting a particular community over the years, Manipur is now witnessing a bloody communal conflict.
Because of the conflict, farmers are unable to tend to their fields and young students have been deprived of proper education, it said.
It then asked, "What will happen to that society/community whose productivity has been crippled and where students don't go to schools?" .
Of all the methods and tactics being employed by India to suppress the liberation movement of Manipur (Kangleipak), creating divisions among the indigenous peoples is a prominent one.
Following the crisis which erupted on May 3 last year, all the people now fully understand India's divide and rule policy, the CorCom said.
People now understand that the current crisis is a manifestation of India's decades old proxy war and several policies rooted in its geopolitics, it said.
People came together and stood up collectively against India but the people's unity has been destroyed by the election.
People who stood unitedly against holding elections before complete normalcy is restored in the State have been fragmented by the election, it remarked.
People who worked together to protect the integrity of Manipur have forgotten the National responsibility after they became supporters of different political parties, the CorCom lamented.
Some people have voiced strong suspicion that the puppet Government has been using village defence volunteers in threatening and intimidating voters to ensure victory of the ruling parties in the election.
If this is true, then the strategy adopted by the alleged puppet Government is a very dangerous one, the CorCom continued.
It then asked if there is any difference between the leaders of the alleged puppet Government and those kings who ruled Manipur with the blessing of Awa during the Seven Years' Devastation and oppressed their own people just to please their Awa masters.
The Battle of Khongjom is a testimony of the defeat suffered by Manipuri people because of disunity.
So the fundamental message of the Khongjom Day is, 'Unite and be united', it said.
The CorCom then called upon all the people to unite and fight collectively to restore the sovereignty of Manipur.
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