45 Yrs down the line, spirit of '65 still stirs all
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 27 2010: Offering of floral tributes at the Pishum Chinga memorial park, rally and public meetings marked the 45th Hunger Marchers' Day observance held under the aegis of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) today.

AMSU has been organising the annual event in remembrance of four persons, including three student activists, killed in security force firing and bayonet charge against protestors who came out on the streets to protest the artificial scarcity of food, mainly rice in Manipur, on this day in 1965 .

A blood donation camp was also organised at the DMC campus head office of AMSU to commemorate the occasion.

This year, like in the past began with present AMSU president Irengbam Jamesbond Mangang hoisting the AMSU flag at the Pishum Chingamacha memorial site.

Students take out a rally on Hunger Marchers Day

A large number of people including students and women activists, as well as family members of all four victims of the 1965 uprising joined in offering floral tributes at the portraits of the four martyrs.

Mention may be made that nongmeikappam Pramodini, Laishram Chaobhal, Yumnam Nabakumar and Nilamani died when security force personnel cracked down on the protestors.

Consequent to the crackdown and killing of the four persons student activists joined hands to form the All Manipur Students' Union.

After paying obeisance at the memorial site, the historic event was re-enacted with a march from the spot towards Keishamthong along the Nambul Mapal-Mayai Lambi route with the participants shouting slogans such as 'long live Manipur', 'long live AMSU' as well as demanding that Government control prices of essential commodities and prevent recurrence of man-made food scarcity.

Crossing Keishampat, Wahengbam Leikai, Nagamapal and Khoyathong areas, the marchers congregated at THAU ground where a public meeting was held.

Former AMSU general secretary G Joykumar Sharma and Jamesbond Mangang graced the meeting as the chief guest and president respectively while former functionaries of the students' body such as RK Itocha and L Dilip attended as the guests of honour.

Many speakers who addressed the gathering observed that ever since annexation to the Indian Union in 1955, people of Manipur have been enduring chronic problem of food shortages.

Holding Government of India responsible for all the suffering of people of Manipur, they also condemned frequent imposition of economic blockades on both the national highways describing sponsors of agitation on the lifelines as individual with vested interest and parochial attitude.

The speakers further alleged that audacity of UNC and ANSAM in disrupting vehicular movement on these highways is not only a fallout of Centre's callousness to suffering of the people of manipur but is a testimony that divide and rule policy is being enacted to perfection by both UNC and ANSAM.

Calling upon the people to remain ever vigilant in order to thwart sinister agenda of disruptive elements, they also stressed on the need to foster brotherhood to overcome all obstacles.

Later in the evening, AMSU volunteers staged a play entitled 'Chaklam Khongchat' at Rupmahal theatre.

Hunger marchers' Day at Jiribam: The 45th Hunger Marchers' Day was also held at Jiribam sub-divisional headquarters where AMSU, Jiribam District Committee hosted the commemoration function at the office of Jiri Ima Meira Paibi Lup.

Lup president K Subhasini Devi and AMSU unit president H Priyananda attended the occasion as the chief guest and functional president respectively with former AMSU Jiri president S Arunkumar and president of Jiri Development committee Th Brojen gracing the observance as guests of honour.