Manipur, one of the occupied seven States in India’s North Eastern Region, is in deep social and political turmoil. The national liberation struggle to restore Manipur’s sovereign independence and the massive ‘counter-insurgency measures’ by the Indian State forces have resulted in a disturbing situation of armed conflict. Thousands of innocent peoples have been killed, hundreds have disappeared from custody, and many women have been raped by the Indian State forces in the process of ruthless ‘counter-insurgency operations. The entire state is filled with personal tragedies of families who lost their sons & daughters, and with young men de-capacitated, maimed and psychologically shattered without renewable capacity for rehabilitation. The impact of the armed conflict is severely felt by women and children. The state’s productive forces, particularly women, had been undermined resulting in deep urban and rural poverty, thereby adding to the cycle of violence. The state’s productive forces, particularly women, had been undermined resulting in deep urban and rural poverty, thereby adding to the cycle of violence. Under the so-called democratic system of India, corruption in public life had reached unprecedented depths and the body polity is rent apart, the division between the haves and have-nots had widened, and family unity and family values had been shattered through severe economic strain. The state which was self-sufficient in history is now reduced to a position of critical dependence on India’s doles, and the State government of Manipur is unable to pay even the salaries for its employees regularly. Complete loss of initiative for economic growth keeping the State as a captive market for India had perpetuated a system of colonialism which is undermining the basic parameters for dignified living of its citizens. The people of Manipur want freedom and independence, and India wants to continue their colonial occupation. What is the cause for this conflict situation?
Manipur, the small but beautiful home to more than thirty fraternal ethnic groups, is a historical State having a recorded history of more than 2000 years. In her long history, Manipur never became a part of India. Manipur was a recognised Asiatic State when the British imperialists invaded and occupied it in 1891. The British Crown in its own wisdom, however, did not annex Manipur to their British Indian empire. After 56 years, when the British government de-colonised the Indian sub-continent in 1947, Manipur also regained her sovereign independence on 14 August 1947 despite the treaty relationship with the Dominion of India under the “Instrument of Accession” signed between the King and the Governor General of the British Indian government on 11 August 1947. Under the terms of this treaty India was to look after the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Communications for Manipur while the King retained the full sovereign right to reject or accept any future constitution of India. Meanwhile, the King had already promulgated the first democratic constitution of Manipur in July 1947 known as the Manipur Constitution Act 1947. Under provisions of this constitution, the first ever democratic elections under universal franchise were held in Manipur in August 1948 to elect the first Manipur State Assembly having 54 members. The State Assembly was inaugurated by the King on 18 October 1948 thereby making the historic transition from absolute monarchy to democracy retaining the King as the customary and constitutional head of State. Thus Manipur became the first country in South Asia to establish democracy when India was yet to adopt her own constitution.
When Manipur was introducing democracy independently India was getting restless to discontinue the treaty relationship and annex Manipur within the Indian Union from strategic security considerations. So Manipur acquiring international personality as a sovereign democratic country was not palatable to India, particularly when the ruling alliance government of Manipur was openly opposed to the idea of Manipur’s ‘merger’ with India. To offset this development India hatched a conspiracy to make the King sign a treaty to ‘merge’ Manipur with India. To this end they invited the King for consultation on some matter in September 1948. On arrival at the venue of the meeting the Indian representative asked the King to put his signature on the already drafted document for merger. The King, completely taken by surprise, felt betrayed and refused to sign the document on the ground that he no longer had the constitutional authority to do so as a Council of Ministers is already functioning in Manipur. He asked for some time to consult his Council of Minister and left the meeting. But when he returned he found his residence surrounded by Indian military personnel. He was told that he was under house-arrest and was not allowed to contact even his Council of Ministers. After resisting for two days the King gave in and signed the “Manipur Merger Agreement” on 21 September 1949. Under terms of this ‘agreement’ the Government of India announced the formal annexation of Manipur on 15 October 1949. The Manipur State Assembly and the Council of Ministers were also abolished on the same day by an executive order of the Indian government. .
The people of Manipur have never accepted the Indian annexation. Several public resolutions and a National Convention have declared the “Manipur Merger Agreement” null and void having no legal and constitutional legitimacy as it was done under duress and not ratified by the State Assembly. This is the crux of the problem and the very root cause of the present Manipur-India Politico-Military Conflict.
Ever since day one, India has been using brute military force to suppress the legitimate aspirations of our people. Today Manipur is highly militarised with 50,000 plus Indian military and para-military forces deployed against a population of just about 2.5 million. This amounts to one Indian soldier for every fifty locals. The draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 has been in force in Manipur for over fifty years now. This Act empowers and gives immunity even to a Non-Commissioned Officer of the Indian military forces to arrest or shoot to kill anybody on mere suspicion and such acts cannot be challenged in a court of law. This Act has emboldened the Indian State forces to commit summary executions, enforced disappearances, rapes and killings in ‘fake encounters’ with impunity. In short, this Act has legalised Indian State Terrorism. Even so, taking advantage of being the ‘largest democracy in the world’, India has manipulated to present the state of affairs in Manipur as simple ‘law and order’ problem. But in reality, Manipur is now under Indian martial law. The world community is yet to see this reality.
Having unbearably suffered in this conflict situation for over half a century, the people of Manipur now want to decide by themselves whether they will remain within the Indian Union or choose independence so as to resolve the Manipur-India Politico-Military Conflict once and for all. To this end our people now demand a PLEBISCITE to be held under the aegis of the United Nations.
We, the helpless people of Manipur appeal for your help and support in taking our CRY FOR PLEBISCITE to the world community. Your voice will make our cry louder in building world public opinion against the ruthless Indian military repression. Your voice will enable our people breathe the air of freedom and independence once again.
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In solidarity
N.Rajesh moirangcha
General secretary
Manipur Forward Youth Front
Manipur North east India
