Restore popular Govt : Murmu beseeched
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 05 2025: A popular Government must be formed at the earliest to uphold democratic values in the State and address the grave humanitarian crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023, said People's Progressive Alliance, Manipur in a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu today.

The People's Progressive Alliance, Manipur comprises Meetei Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU), Nupi Union For Peace and Integrity (NUPI), United Meitei Pangal Committee (UMPC), Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC), Yelhoumee Phurup (YP), Youth Collective Manipur (YCM), All India Tanzeem-E Insaaf-Manipur (AITI-M), All Manipur Democratic Students' Organisation (AMDSO), All Manipur Meitei Pangal Clubs' Organisation (AMMPACO), Apunba Awonba Manipur Amagidamak (AAMA), Committee of Peaceful Coexistence, Manipur (CPCM), Committee on Relief & Rehabilitation (CRR), Federal Students' Organisation, Kangleipak (FESOK), Federation of Indigenous People's Democratic Movement (FIDM) and Kanglei People Against Narcotics & Psychotropic Substances (Kanglei Panas) .

In the memorandum, the People's Progressive Alliance asserted that Manipur's territorial integrity is non-negotiable and it must remain inviolable under international law.

Manipur, reeling under President's Rule despite the BJP having absolute majority in the State Legislative Assembly, has plunged into a Constitutional crisis, asserted the people's alliance, urging the President to restore democratic governance in Manipur.

President's Rule was imposed for the 11th time in Manipur on February 13 after N Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister on February 9 .

The legislative authority of the elected representatives must be restored to ensure that governance reflects the will of the people.

Appropriate steps must be taken to reinstate a democratic popular Government and uphold the spirit of federalism enshrined in the Indian Constitution, it said.

On Manipur's territorial integrity, the people's alliance said the Manipur Merger Agreement of 1949 was signed between two independent entities�India and Manipur.

Manipur was a sovereign State before the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950 .

"The principle of Uti Possidetis Juris, recognised by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), establishes that the pre-colonial territorial boundaries of a former sovereign State remain unchanged upon decolonisation unless altered by a legal referendum.

Manipur's territorial integrity must therefore remain inviolable," it asserted.

"Article 3 of the Indian Constitution empowers Indian Parliament to alter State boundaries.

However, Manipur had its own Constitution before the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.The Manipur Constitution Act, 1947, supersedes Article 3 in the case of Manipur, as no Parliamentary Act should override pre-existing sovereign Constitutional arrangements.

Therefore, Article 3 of the Indian Constitution cannot be applied to alter Manipur's territorial boundaries, as it did not Constitutionally belong to India at the time of the enactment of the Indian Constitution," said the alliance.

Any attempt to alter Manipur's territorial boundaries would not only be a breach of history but a deep scar upon its identity�an act of aggression that contravenes international law and undermines India's own commitment to territorial sovereignty, it added.

"As a founding member of the United Nations, India is duty-bound and has the Charter Obligation to uphold the principles of justice, peace, the inviolability of Nations, sovereignty, self-determination, and territorial integrity enshrined within the Charter.

To abandon this obligation would be to betray the very foundations of international order and the ideals that safeguard the dignity of Nations," asserted the alliance.

The alliance then sought a Presidential order affirming that the territorial integrity of Manipur shall remain inviolable and that no alteration shall be made under Article 3 of the Constitution of India.

In addition, a special provision must be inserted in the Constitution of India explicitly recognising the historical sovereignty of Manipur and its unique Constitutional status before 1949, it added.

Since the outbreak of the Manipur crisis on May 3, 2023, over 60,000 people have been displaced, scores are missing with thousands of homes, places of worship, and public institutions destroyed.

The internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to suffer from lack of basic facilities, inadequate security, and prolonged uncertainty about returning to their homes, said the alliance.

The Government must initiate safe and dignified resettlement of IDPs in their native places with full State protection, and ensure rehabilitation efforts are swift and comprehensive, involving all displaced communities, said the alliance.

Central security forces must be deployed to secure conflict-ridden areas and uphold rule of law.

The National Highways must be opened to facilitate free movement.

Security forces must be deployed to ensure the unhindered transit of essential commodities and prevent economic strangulation, it said.

Further, village volunteers (Khun Ngakpa) should be protected from unwarranted arrests as they are not anti-National.

They are the creation of the abject failure of both the Central and the State Governments to protect the civilians and their properties and public infrastructure from the Kuki-aggression, said the alliance.

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