Common future, peaceful co-existence and restoration of pre-merger political status of Manipur
- Part 5 -

Dr Khomdon Lisam *

Mass Rally for the common future of Manipur from THAU Ground to Khuman Lampak on 6 February 2016 :: Pix - Deepak OInam

States Merger (Chief Commissioners' Provinces) Order, 1950 was "ultra-vires" and "null and void"

As per the Notification issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Law, dated the 22nd January 1950, paras 1(1) (2), 2(1) the States Merger (Chief Commissioners' Provinces) Order, 1950 shall come into force only with effect from the 23rd January, 1950, and therefore the State of Manipur should have become administered under a Chief Commissioner only from that date onwards and as such the orders issued by the Ministry of States, New Delhi, dated the 15th October 1949 hurriedly merging Manipur with the Dominion of India and the order issued by the Chief Commissioner, Major General Rawal Amar Singh on 15th October 1949, who was appointed on the same day, ceasing the functioning of the Ministers of the State and dissolving the Manipur Legislative Assembly were clearly "ultra-vires" and "null and void" orders i.e they were illegal and invalid orders issued prior to having the "authority to do so".

Forced Merger of Manipur was in violation of international law

Maharajah Bodhchandra was made to sign under threat as evidenced from history. Is it not violation of international law to extract agreement between two sovereign countries under threat ?

Once Manipur became part of the India, the Government of India dissolved the State's Constitution Assembly in October, 1949 without repealing the Manipur Constitution Act-1947. This is another blunder The Government of India placed Manipur as a part C state. This was considered a disgrace to the state and the people of Manipur. Further it was degraded to the status of the union territory from 1956 onwards. In 1972, Manipur was elevated to the status of a state (or province) after a long and protracted struggle.

India's silent war of population invasion against Manipur

In 1901, during the British period, Manipur devised a very effective system of controlling the entry of foreigners (Non-Manipruis) called the Permit or Passport system. Indians coming from other parts of India were called foreigners in the terminology of Manipur Administration. This Permit system was brought under the Foreigners Department on 1 November, 1931. If the foreigners wish to visit Manipur, they were required to take permission from the then Durbar and had to pay certain amount of taxes.

This Permit or Passport System served two important purposes (1) it controlled and regulated influx of Non-Manipuris (2) it formed an important item of revenue for the state. This Permit system was abolished by Mr. Himmat Singh, the then Chief Commissioner on 18 November, 1950. The said permit system prohibits any foreigner to acquire or purchase land in Manipur. Although Manipur is 90% hills, the question of implementing Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1973 did not arise since Manipur was a princely state.

The abolition of permit/passport system in Manipur has caused immense damage to the Manipur Society. The iIllegal migration from across the borders has continued unabated for the last more than 60 years. Today, we have more than 51,000 illegal Bangladeshis scattered all over the state mainly in Borobekra, Serous and hundreds of other villages. We have foreigners like Bangladeshis, Burmese and Nepalese also non-indigenous people from other states in all major and small towns and most of the villages in the valley and hill districts occupying our lands, buildings, snatching away our jobs and eroding our economy affecting our day to day life and peaceful existence. This has caused slow transformation in our mongoloid features, identity and culture. According to 2001 Census, the population of outside migrants in Manipur was 707,488 as against the tribal population of 670,782 (UCM-2005).

In Tripura, the percentage of indigenous population was 93 % of the entire population in 1947. By 2001, it has been reduced to 22%. Similar trend is likely to happen in Manipur within a short time. The possibility silent demographic invasion will be more with the arrival of railways, Tipaimukh Dam, more recruitment of Nepalese and South Indians in the Manipur Rifles, IRB, Home Guards and large influx of military and paramilitary organisations. Even today, outsiders are found in all small towns, villages including hill districts. The Khwairamband Bazar is practically controlled by outsiders.

In addition to this, the Government of India is also encouraging foreigners like Bangladeshis and Myanmarese to migrate and settle in Manipur.

Manipur's indigenous population is hardly 0.20 % of India's population. What will happen to the indigenous population of Manipur if more than two lakhs of people from mainland India starts migrating to Manipur every year. This was what has happened from 1951 onwards till date. Naturally, the indigenous Manipuris will become minority in our own country during the next 20-30 years.

Emergence of insurgency in Manipur

The emergence of insurgency in Manipur is solely due to wrong policies and blunders of the Govt of India. Manipur is now the most violent theatre of conflict in the North East region of India. The series of blunders committed by the Govt of India is the root cause of conflict between the people of Manipur and the Govt of India. The emergence of insurgency in Manipur is formally traced to the emergence of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) on 24 November 1964.

People's Liberation Army (PLA), founded on Sep 25, 1978, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) set up on October 9, 1977 and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) that came into being in April, 1980. A report of the State Home department in May 2005 indicated that 'as many as 12,650 cadres of different insurgent outfits with 8830 weapons are actively operating in the State'. The people feel that the birth of insurgency is the making of the Government of India.

India's racist attack on the people of North East

The Govt of India never recognizes Manipuri as at par with that of mainland Indians. We are facing a racial discrimination at the hands of the Govt of India as well as at the hands of mainland Indians.

Our North East Indian history has never been the history of India. We are forced to learn the mainland Indian history like Akbar, Aurangazeb for many decades by various educational systems in India. The Govt is hell bent to divide the Manipur on the lines of political parties, religion, ethnicity and racism. Racial hatred was stirred by mainland Indians.

In the past, racial discrimination were mainly because of different caste and religions. Dalits were subjected to unimaginable discrimination, but no one ever questioned their "Indian-ness". This is not the case of north easterners. The racism faced by the north east at the hands of the mainland India is of a different order. It is much more "in your face", because of their different racial appearance, different hair styles, different ethnicity (skin colour and looks, language, cultural indifferences and difficulty in pronouncing names). The north easterners practically had to beg to be accepted as "Indians". The north easterners come to realize that they are not Indians.

The act of racism and violence against north east Indians are not new. North East Indians are targeted everywhere irrespective of their work, their location, they are targeted in every city, every town every colony, be it Delhi, Chennai or Bhopal or Mumbai or Bangalore. The main reason that drives this insane mentality is how they look different from others and their distinct cultures and traditions.

Looking at the physical features, the mainland Indians including political leaders, bureaucrats, landowners presumed that their IQ must be very low. They are deprived of jobs, promotions, social recognitions. respect and human dignity. This is not surprising considering the fact that they themselves indulged in caste system, honour killing, Sati, dowry deaths, female infanticide etc. It is also known that India ranks in the top of least racial tolerant nations in various international surveys. We have to realize that we are not Indians

Discriminatory provisions of Article 371C of Indian Constitution

The Article 371C of Indian Constitution divides Manipur into Hill and Valley although there are many hillocks in the valley and many valley areas in the hills. Manipur is more than 90% hills. It divides the same Manipuri people from a common ancestor into valley people and Hill people, into Nagas and Meiteis, Kukis and Meiteis. It creates a false sense of superiority among the non-tribal over the tribal There is no equality of people in Manipur, leading to hatred and conflict situations among the ethnic groups.

It divides the same people into Schedule Tribes and General , Schedule Tribes and OBC. It leads to enactment of a discriminatory law. The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 came into force on 1st June, 1961 vide order no. 140/1/60(vi) dated 31 May, 1961. The Act was passed by Indian Parliament vide bill no. 95-F of 1959 Act, no, 33 of 1960 to make a special provision for protection of Scheduled Tribes under section no. 180.

This creates a sense of discrimination against non-tribal leading to disunity, distrust among the ethnic groups in Manipur. This Act encouraged the violent minority to violate the human rights of the sleeping majority. This Act also violates the Article 19(e) of Indian Constitution. The small land area in the valley and Moreh is always open to sale to outsiders threatening the very existence of the Manipuri people.

With the arrival of Railways and Look East Policy, the future of Meiteis and hill people of Manipur are in jeopardy.

Declaration of Disturbed Area – Manipur had been declared a 'disturbed area' in its entirety in 1980 and the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) 1958 was imposed in the State on 8 September, 1980.

To be continued...