Imphal, Sept. 21: Coalition for Indigenous Rights Campaign Manipur, a citizen’s organisation, today kicked off a monthlong protest against Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union in 1949.

During the campaign the coalition will demand “special political status” for the state.

Manipur’s titular king Leisemba Sanajaoba kicked off the campaign from his palace residence here by hoisting the “state flag” at half-mast as a mark of protest against the merger.

Manipur, which was a princely state, joined the Indian Union on October 15, 1949, after the then king Bodhchandra Singh signed a merger agreement “under duress” in Shillong on this day in 1949.

After the British left in 1947, Manipur framed a constitution and an elected Legislative Assembly was in place when the “forcible” merger took place.

The coalition blamed the merger for all the troubles in Manipur today. It said the present issue of territorial
integrity of the state, inner-line permit system, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the ongoing armed conflict were the fruits of the merger agreement.

“Our monthlong campaign is not against the Constitution, nor it a secessionist one. Our campaign is to hold democratic deliberations to chalk out a political future for Manipur,” Sanajaoba said.

As the king was lowering the state flag, anti-merger slogans were raised by those gathered for the programme.
“When India’s Constitution was framed, Manipur’s concerns were sidelined. We need to renegotiate with the Centre to establish a new political relationship between Manipur and India. The state deserves a special political status,” Ningthouja Lancha, the spokesperson for the coalition, said.

During the campaign, sit-ins and various forms of deliberations would be organised to finalise a course of action on a “new political chapter” for Manipur.

Speakers at the programme felt that the problems besetting the state today and disunity among the different ethnic groups were the outcome of the merger.

The anti-merger campaign came in the wake of the NSCN (I-M)’s demand for Naga integration and the demand raised by Kuki organisations for a separate administration for the five hill districts of Manipur. The Kukis raised the demand after the state Assembly passed three bills — Protection of Manipur People Bill, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill — on August 31.

The Kuki organisations termed the bills anti-tribal and rejected invitations from the government to hold talks on the bills, which are waiting governor Syed Ahmed’s assent.

The coalition organised similar programmes today at various places in the four valley districts.

Normal life in parts of Manipur was affected today because of a dawn-to-dusk general strike called today by the National Revolutionary Front, Manipur, against the “forcible merger”.

Imphal city remained shut today.