Book on Manipur by Brig Sushil banned
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 14 2022: Maintaining that history relating to 'Manipur Merger Agreement' is a very sensitive and emotional subject for the native people of Manipur, the state government has banned a book titled 'The Complexity called Manipur: Roots, Perceptions & Reality' authored by late Brigadier Sushil Kumar Sharma and published by Vinod Vasishtha for Viva Books Private Limited, New Delhi on account of misleading facts contained in it.

An order of the home department dated November 9 stated that the author had in his book mentioned under the heading 'Merger of Manipur with the Indian Union' that "The total area which the Manipur merger agreement covered was his territory of 700 square miles or 26,500 Paris/hectares.

Not even a single inch of hill areas was covered under this agreement" .

"The information published in the book is grossly misleading and scandalous.

And, it may even amount to breach of peace and public tranquility and maintenance of harmony among various communities residing in the state thereby impacting the national security and national integrity of India", the order stated.

The unfounded statements published in the book are contrary to the Gazette published in the year 1950 by Ministry of States (now Ministry of Home Affairs), Government of India with the title 'White Paper on Indian States' .

The said publication of Government of India, specifically reproduces the 'Manipur Merger Agreement' that said during the time of merger, Manipur had 8,620 square miles of area and a total population of 5,12,000 .

Maintaining that further circulation of the said book containing grossly misleading, factually incorrect information and scandalous statement in connection with Merger of Manipur will create misunderstanding and communal tension between the communities residing in the valley and hill areas of the state, which may escalate into violence affecting public tranquility and maintenance of harmony among various communities, and may impact the integrity of India; the order stated that "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 95 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), the Government of Manipur hereby declares that every copy of the said book shall be forfeited to the government" .

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