Bodies disapprove RSS chief's remark
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 29 2022: While terming the remark of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat link-ing Manipur to India since the time of Mahabharat as unfortunate, several or-ganisations have demanded clarification from the RSS on what basis the remark was made.

Leihou Khunai Kanba Luptin (LKKL), Kanglei-pak Students' Association (KSA), Iramdam Kanba Apunba Lup (IKAL) and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpang Lup (AIMS) have strongly disapproved Mo-han Bhagwat's remark.

While KSA strongly condemned RSS chief's remark, AIMS demanded clarification from organ-isers of the book releasing function which provided platform to Mohan Bhagwat within four days on the re-mark while LKKL and IKAL too demanded clarification from RSS Manipur at the earliest.

According to a statement issued by its secretary Ksh Romesh, LKKL took serious note of the remark made by Mohan Bhagwat linking Manipur to India since the time of Mahabharat during the on January 24 and hence RSS must clarify on the re-mark very clearly.

Manipur has its own culture, reli-gion and script and different indigenous communities have been living together in harmony since time im-memorial and the land was not called Manipur during the time of Mahabharat or at time the epic was writ-ten.

If there happened to be a land called Manipur in Mahabharat, then it was not the present Manipur, the LKKL asserted in its statement.

According to LKKL, India is well aware of Manipur's existence as a nation state before merger to it and peo-ple of Manipur cannot be called Hindustan merely for adopting Hinduism during the reign of king Pamheiba in 1709.Meetei will remain as Meetei and let Mayang be Mayang, it added.While asserting that the truth will remain forev-er, LKKL said that it is not good for some self-styled intellectuals of Manipur to say anything and write whatever they like.

While urging RSS Ma-nipur to clarify on Mohan Bhagwat's remark clearly, the LKKL statement said that people of the land too need to stand united and show that such irresponsi-ble remarks are unaccept-able at all.Meanwhile, AIMS sec-retary general Nickerson told media persons at its Kwakeithel office here on Saturday that Manipur has its own history and Mo-han Bhagwat's remark was an attempt to fool a soci-ety having its own unique history.

It is clearly written in the history of Manipur that Hinduism spread to the land only in the 18th century and Mohan Bhag-wat's remark terming the Anglo-Manipurs War of 1891 as a part of India's independence movement was quite contradictory to history, Nickerson pointed out, adding that the pres-ent India was non-existent before 1949 and Manipur was merged to India on Oc-tober 15, 1949.Kangleipak Manipur was never part of India before 1949 and never linked to India historically, geographically or culturally.

There could be a land called Manipur during the time Mahabharat in some part of India but that land cannot be the present Mani-pur as this name was given only recently, Nickerson said and asked organiser of the book releasing function which provided platform to Mohan Bhagwat make clear about Manipur of Ma-habharat and the present Manipur.

He also asked the organiser as to how the An-glo-Manipuri War of 1891 could be linked to India's freedom movement and how close relation Mani-pur had during that time with India.

He also warned of launching intense form agitation in coordination with people of the land if the organiser fails to clarify within four days.On the other hand, KSA strongly condemned Mohan Bhagwat's remark and said that the RSS leader was pro-jecting history and identity of Kangleipak Manipur in wrong light.

In a statement, KSA said that Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 cannot be linked to India's freedom movement and linking Manipur to Ma-habharat is totally unac-ceptable.

The propagandist law of converting a false into true by repeated remarks cannot be acceptable to Kanglei history and Mohan Bhagwat must be aware of it.

KSA maintained that the 1891 war fought between the then British Empire and sovereign Kangleipak Ma-nipur cannot be linked to India's freedom movement or any religion.IKAL also strongly disap-proved Mohan Bhagwat's remark and maintained that Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 cannot be linked to India's freedom movement and Mahabharat's Manipur is not the present Kanglei-pak Manipur at all.

The Lup also demanded clarification from relevant authority on the irresponsible and false statement made by the RSS chief.

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