CorCom pays tribute to Haipou Jadonang
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 28 2012: Hailing Haipou Jadonang as a genuine patriot who held his own Nation more dear than his own life, the CorCom has paid fitting tributes to the martyr on his martyrdom anniversary which falls on August 29 .

After Manipur came under British colonial rule in 1891, the British rulers imposed house tax on each and every household of both the hills and valley of Manipur, said CorCom in a statement.

Every time a British officer or their agents visited a village, the local people were forced to carry their goods without any wage.

Moreover their accommodation and foods were supplied by villagers under duress.

Any one who protested such repressive measures or refused to fall in line with such inhuman policy were given harsh punishments by the British rulers.

It was during this miserable period that Haipou Jadonang took birth at Puilon (Kambiron) Kabui village along Imphal-Cachar road.

He defied the British diktats and openly challenged the oppressive colonial regime.

Mobilising all the indigenous people inhabiting the Tamenglong hill ranges, Jadonang laid the foundation of a freedom movement against the British rulers.

Haipou Jadonang

He also conducted an intensive propaganda that the period of colonial rule was over and in its place a new administrative system based on Kabui Makam would be set up.

Alarmed by the pro-independence activities of Jadonang, the British rulers arrested and put him in Tamenglong jail for some days, said CorCom.

He became even more popular after his release from jail and he intensified his campaign against the colonial regime.

Not long after iron workshop were set up and weapons were manufactured.

He was also procuring small guns from Cachar.

By this time, the British rulers realised the grave threat posed by Jadonang to their colonial regime, further said CorCom.

The British rulers feared that Jadonang's ideas of freedom would spread all over Manipur and it would ignite a forceful and extensive liberation movement in Manipur in case Jadonang is allowed to live any longer.

The British rulers swung into action and arrested Jadonang from Cachar under a conspiracy.

He was brought to Imphal and hung to death in public at Imphal jail on August 29, 1931 .

It is a common practice for all imperialists all over the world to punish and kill patriotic revolutionaries on the false charge of instigating violence and murder.

The British rulers eliminated Haipou Jadonang because they feared that his ideas of freedom would spread to the whole of Manipur.

Even today, the Indian military has been torturing and killing patriotic revolutionaries after taking them into their custody on fabricated charges.

The combined force of India's legislature, judiciary and the military has been keeping the people of Manipur chained and immotile.

Under the immunity provided by AFSPA 1958 since the past many decades, the Indian military has been unleashing all kinds of repressive measures against the people of Manipur.

In the meantime, guided by an attitude of apartheid, people of the North East region are being beaten and driven back from different parts of India.

There is no difference between the British ruler and Indian rulers as far as treatment of indigenous people is concerned, it alleged.

Just as Haipou Jadonang fought against the British rulers, the present generation ought to stand up collectively against the existing alien rule.

Stating that all the indigenous people of Manipur share kindred relationships who are also inter-dependent since ages, the CorCom asserted that the fraternal bond ought to be further strengthened.

Rather than creating divisions based on ethnicity, all the indigenous people of the land must unite together and pay fitting and sincere tributes to Haipou Jadonang, it concluded.