First session of elected Govt commemorated
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 18 2016: The first session of the first democratically elected Government of Manipur was commemorated today at Classic Grande Hotel here.

The commemorative function organised by Committee of Civil Societies Kangleipak (CCSK) was presided by its president Arjun Telheiba.

Modern College Associate Professor Haobijam Indrakumar, MU Prof (retd) N Joykumar, MU Post Doctoral Fellow Dr K Muktasana and senior journalist K Modhumangol spoke at the commemorative function as resource persons.

After the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, Manipur came under British occupation for 56 years until British colonial rulers restored independence of Manipur on August 14, 1947 .

A democratically elected Government was set up after independence with 53 MLAs and the State Assembly held its first session on October 18, 1948 .

Freed from the exploitative monarchy and feudalism and liberated from the British colonial yoke, people of Manipur were euphoric as their pride as a Nation was restored, Arjun Telheiba said.

As such, October 18 is a landmark date in the history of Manipur.

Commemoration of October 18 would go a long way in teaching the history of Manipur to the younger generations and instilling a sense of duty to the Nation, he continued.

H Indrakumar said that India is a republic, not a kingdom.

But Manipur was once a kingdom.

Nonetheless, people of Manipur always wanted to live as free people.

He went on to question why the Manipur State Assembly was called so rather than calling it Manipur Parliament.

Manipur was a Nation.

Whereas contemporary MLAs take oath on assuming office to maintain secrecy of the Government, the 53 MLAs of 1948 pledged to work for the truth, Indrakumar remarked.

Even though many people gave credit to British colonial rulers for modernisation of Manipur, Manipur would have been much more developed if it remained an independent country.

During the time of Maharaj Churachand and Irabot, a section of people wanted to merge Manipur with Burma while another section was conspiring to merge Manipur into the Indian Union.

There was no line of division between the hills and the valley.

It was the British colonial rulers who divided the people of Manipur into hill people and plain people.

Since the controversial merger with the Indian Union, people of Manipur have been suffering from all kinds of repressive measures.

If Manipur remained separate, it would have been a developed country by now, he claimed.

H Indrakumar then called upon the gathering to focus their attention on freedom and be progressive.

Prof N Joykumar remarked that most of the historical events commemorated in Manipur are either about defeat or death but the event commemorated today was about celebration.

It is a commendable step for collective discussion on the emergence of democracy and democratic process in Manipur.

Manipur adopted its present name in the 17th century during the reign of Maharaj Garibniwaj.

There was no doubt Manipur existed as a Nation.

The Manipuri Nation was formed after unification of the seven clans which existed as independent Nations before the unification, Prof Joykumar asserted.

The Coalition of Indigene's Rights Campaign (CIRCA) too commemorated the same historic session at the royal palace as Manipur National Day 2016 .

Titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba, MU College Development Council Director Thounaojam Ratankumar, MU former Deputy Registrar Oinam Kullabidhu, MU research associate Kangujam Sanatomba, cultural activist Ningthouja Lancha and family members of the MLAs who held their first session in 1948 attended the function.

Speaking at the gathering, Leishemba Sanajaoba said that people of Manipur were living together in harmony under monarchy.

Taking serious note of the restive situation prevailing in Manipur, the titular king appealed to all the scholars and intellectuals to pool in their resources and guide Manipur on to a progressive track.

Ningthouja Lancha said that there was no inter-community distrust or animosity when Manipur was not merged into the Indian Union.

The demand to restore Manipur's pre-merger status is justified and it does not mean separation from India, he asserted.

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