CorCom pays salute to Lamyanba Irabot
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 23 2014: Calling upon the people for extensive observance of Lamyanba Irabot's 118th birth anniversary that falls on September 30 and 63rd death anniversary on September 26, the Coordination Committee (CorCom) of KCP, KYKL, PREPAK, PREPAK (Pro), RPF and UNLF has hailed Irabot as a dedicated leader of the mass.

He was the only leader who challenged and fought against oppression of the common mass by the king, feudal lords and ruling elites.

Irabot was a selfless leader who fought for the cause of downtrodden and underprivileged peasants.

Irabot not only challenged the monarchy but also the British colonial rule, said a press release issued by CorCom media coordinator H Poirei.

Irabot became the vice-president of the Nikhil Manipuri Hindu Mahasabha which was set up in 1934 with Maharaj Churachand as the president.

The first session of the Mahasabha was held on May 30, 1934 at the royal palace and the second session from January 26-30, 1936 at Tarapur, Silchar.

The third congregation of the Mahasabha was held at Mandalay (Burma/Myanmar) from February 28 to March 2, 1937 .

While the third and fourth sessions were aimed at uniting Manipuris scattered in these places, the fourth Mahasabha at Chinga on December 29-30, 1938 adopted a number of resolutions, including deletion of the word 'Hindu' from 'Nikhil Hindu Manipuri Mahasabha' and eventual declaration of the Mahasabha as a political outfit.

The session adopted another significant resolution in favour of securing the release of Rani Gaidinliu who was then lodged in jail.

This resolution underscored the importance of unity and co-existence among the indigenous people of Manipur.

Irabot set up a political party by the name Manipur Praja Samelini and took an active role in the historic Nupi Lan.

For this, he was imprisoned for three years, including confinement at Sylhet Jail as the then Government considered his presence in Manipur as a potential threat.

It was in Sylhet Jail that Irabot met many other fellow revolutionaries like Biresh Mishra and Naya Duniya Editor Jyotirmoy Nandi.

They studied together the principles of Marxism-Leninism inside the jail and collectively studied and analysed the working class movement then sweeping across the world.

In spite of his release from the jail on March 20, 1943 Irabot was barred from returning to Manipur.

He took refuge at Cachar and spearheaded a peasant movement there.

He was viewed with high esteem by the then Communist leaders and he was even invited to the first congress of the Communist Party of India held at Bombay from May 23 to June 1, 1943 .

Irabot was again imprisoned on September 15, 1944 before he was released on January 10, 1945.But Irabot was given permission to stay in Manipur for only one week.

Irabot returned to Cachar and he represented Silchar Constituency as a CPI candidate in the Assam Provincial Legislature Assembly held in 1946 .

After his return to Manipur in March 1946, Irabot established Manipur Praja Mandal.

He also attended the second session of CPI held at Calcutta from February 28 to March 6, 1948.There he met Burma Communist Party leader Thakin Than Toon.

It was this Calcutta session which revealed divergent perspectives of Irabot and CPI and he was quick to grasp the National contradiction between India and Manipur.

Independent Manipur conducted its first Assembly election in phased manner between June 11 to 27, 1948 and Irabot was elected from Utlou Kendra on Krishak Sabha ticket.

Taking advantage of the critical transition through which Manipur was passing, Government of India's policy as well as Indian National Congress' endeavour to form Purvanchal Pradesh by amalgamating Manipur, Tripura and Cachar were noticed by the people compelling the Manipur Krishak Sabha and Manipur Praja Sangha to convene a public meeting at MDU on September 21, 1948 for a collective resolution against Purvanchal Pradesh.

With the meeting expectedly attracting huge response and people from various directions headed towards MDU, police were deployed at Pungdongbam to barricade people coming from the northern direction.

As a confrontation broke out between the people and the police leading to a number of deaths and injuries, Irabot decided to return to his underground life even as all organisations connected with him were banned by the Government.

Krishak Sabha member Lairenlakpam Anganghal was blamed for killing Imphal police station OC Naranbabu in the ensuing melee even though Naranbabu was killed in firing by fellow police personnel, said CorCom.

Irabot set up 'Manipur Communist party' (MCP) on October 29, 1948 with himself as the president and its armed wing Red Guard Council on March 9, 1950 .

After appointing Thokchom Borbabu as the commander of Red Guard, Irabot and his team went to different villages and launched a campaign for armed struggle.

Irabot went to Burma in the first week of May 1950 to take help from the Burma Community Party.

But he found that Burma Community Party had split into Communist party of Burma, Burma Communist party and Peoples Comrade Party.

Irabot somehow convinced leaders of the three Communist groups in forming a united front under a specific agreement.

But his goal could not materialise as Irabot expired at Tangbo village of Burma on September 26, 1951 .

Stating that Irabot's activities testify his unwavering spirit and commitment to the cause of the suffering mass, CorCom also affirmed that Irabot's belief in 'revolutionary politics' of armed liberation movement to free the oppressed mass was the guiding light of the ongoing liberation movement.

The CorCom concluded by paying deepest respects to the late revolutionary leader.

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