Imphal, Nov. 20: It was almost dark when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rose to address the mammoth crowd at the inner polo ground inside Kangla fort. And as dusk fell, Manipur woke up to a new day ? as the Meiteis got back possession of the historic fort after 113 years.
Amid wild cheering by spectators furiously waving the Tricolour, Assam Rifles director-general Lt Gen. Bhopinder Singh handed over a silver key inside a glass cage to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh this evening. And the key shut one of the most eventful chapters in the state?s history.
The Prime Minister announced the fort?s transfer a little later, holding it up as a special effort by Delhi to provide the healing touch to the troubled state.
Assam Rifles also presented a painting of the fort as it was when the force took possession in 1891, to the Prime Minister.
The event was tinged with sadness, with the painter, R.K. Chandrajit Singh, dying this morning itself at the age of 82. Even as the presentation ceremony was under way, his funeral rites were being performed at a quiet locality here.
Dressed in white kurta pyjama and a grey waistcoat, Manmohan Singh spoke about the glorious history of Manipur, her brave sons and daughters and the state?s rich cultural heritage.
He also spoke about the people?s ?legitimate aspirations to live with dignity?, as the audience gave him a rousing welcome.
?The Kangla fort is the nucleus of the Manipur state. It not only symbolises temporal powers but also the spiritual and religious traditions of the state,? Singh said.
Thousands of people, dressed in their holiday best, trooped into the ground to witness the ceremony, despite a general strike called by the militant Revolutionary People?s Front (RPF).
But the happiest of all was chief minister Ibobi Singh, as he tried his best to capitalise on the occasion to play to the galleries.
After speaking in English for a few minutes, he switched to Manipuri to tell the people about the steps being taken for the fort?s preservation. He said the fort would be turned into one of the best archaeological and heritage parks.
For this purpose, the state government has sought the services of Nalini Thakur, an expert of the New Delhi-based National School of Planning and Development.
Ibobi Singh also listed the development activities undertaken by the Centre and his government, making a strong case for completion of the Jiribam-Tupul railway line on time.
Irony, too, was not missing in the drama that unfolded today. As the Assam Rifles director-general gave his ?farewell? speech, the loudest cheers came when the official said, ?The history of Assam Rifles is inextricably linked to the people of Manipur.?
An Assam Rifles official, seated in the enclosure for invitees, explained, ?Despite the recent outbursts of ire against the force, the people of Manipur know how we have helped them all these years.?
The British army first occupied the fort in 1892 after defeating the Manipuri forces. In 1947, the Assam Rifles moved in. For some 2,000 years, Manipur?s kings had ruled from the fort. It is said the coronation of the first known Meitei king, Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, was held at Kangla and so the site is still known as the Kangla Men.
