1891 Remembered: Retrospection to the history of resistance
- Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur) (CPDM) -

New Delhi, August 12, 2010

Office of the
Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)

Ref: 20100811 CPDM/ PR- 13 August

Website: www.cpdm.info
E-mail: [email protected]

Press Statement of CPDM on Patriotism
11 August 2010

1891 Remembered
Retrospection to the history of resistance

In Manipur, 13 August 2010 is a gazetted Patriot's Day to commemorate the martyrdom of the then prince Koireng and general Thangal, who, on this day in 1891, as fallout of leading a war against the British invasion, were hanged to death by the British. The Government of Manipur had fixed Patriot's Day for this date either in response to or to create the dominant perception that Koireng and Thangal had sacrificed for the cause of freedom and that their defeat had paved the way to the colonial rule. Their role in the anti-colonial war was significant and we commemorate their martyrdom.

However, if State institutionalised Patriot's Day rituals would stress primarily on eulogising their martyrdom, the Day becomes a descriptive reductionism that keeps other martyrs of 1891 out of attention. We need to be cautious that while conjuring up a past elitist valour of the princes and general or the rulers, several martyred patriots at lower ranks and grass root are not left out. To make the Patriot's Day more representative of collective conscience of the population for whom the Day has been listed in the gazette, the Day should be inclusive of all the martyrs who had fought for democratic cause over different historical periods of time.

To us, we remember 1891 since it was a symbolically significant historical past that informs to us that disunity among co-existing communities, power struggle among rulers, sectarianism among institutionalised groupings, and absence of common objectives had caused impediment to successful unified resistance against colonial invasion. Resistances in the formats of battles and ambushes that were carried out in 1891 were characteristically partisans without tactical reinforcement to one another under a strategically conducive unified command structure.

The weakness had led to the defeat of the princes and the aftermath of colonial rule was oppression and exploitation of the peasants and tribals under the exploitative colonial political economy of the British and their local agents (including the colonial monarchy that was based in Imphal). The defeat, which was largely caused by the disunity and sectarianism among the co-existing communities or power mongers or categories of population, (Sic. a condition that we experience today in our political existence) was a blunder and a big shame. But the spirit of resistance that was exhibited in the physical confrontation against the British, whether it was populist or partisan in nature, must not go without any notice. We, therefore, resolved to commemorate the martyrdom and the spirit of resistance that was exhibited by various sections of the population in 1891.

Regarding the prevailing Patriot's Day observation in Manipur, the cultural architects of the Day must be fully aware of the functional aspects of the crafted artefact, if not articulation of the audio, visual and rituals based on selected narrative or notion of patriots. If these would remain exclusivist in what it apparently represent, even if the architect had never intended to make it sectarian or hegemonic or chauvinistic or overarching superimposition, it could have varying meanings to different communities of interpreters. Negative interpretations usually got into mixing up with the existing counterproductive sectarian politics, and this could delay us from marching ahead towards collective peace and progress. Against this backdrop, it is very clear to our position that while commemorating martyrdom and the spirit of resistance of 1891, we at the same time would expand our focus of commemoration on the time period after 1891.

We consider that the timeline after 1891 following the British invasion has been a chequered history composed of eventual episodes of resistances and counter-resistances. The dialectics between invasion and resistance or colonial pogrom and rebellious martyrdom or martial law and democratic movement or governance and defiance or rulers and ruled would reveal that these are concurrent and yet counteracting in every structurally ordered society where subjugation or oppression is the means of governance adopted by the rulers. Despite dynamicity in the visible camouflaged appearance of the rulers over different historical times and places, the tenet of resistance for freedom, however, remains unchanged. We choose to continuously uphold the spirit of resistance carried out by the victims of subjugation & exploitation against the exploitative regimes.

We, therefore, take the opportunity of 13 August to express our solidarity to the commemorative programme on 1891 Remembered: Retrospection to The History Of Resistance that is being organised by the Manipur Students' Association Delhi on 13 August 2010 at the University of Delhi. We would like to appeal to the MSAD that while paying tribute to the martyrdom of prince Koireng and general Thangal, the methodology of listing patriots may include the following others who had played crucial role in keeping the spirit of resistance continuously alive till today:

* Niranjan Subedar (8 June 1891), Kajao Singh, Jamandar (25 May 1891) and Chirai Naga of Mayangkhang (13 October 1891) who were hanged by the British;
* the prisoners of war who were either deported for live or forced exiled by the British; the regular army and militias who had fought against the British in 1891;
* subsequent partisan rebels of Kuki War 1917-19; Zelianrong movement of 1920s and early 1930s; activists of Nupi Lan of 1904 and 1939, Bazaar Boycott of 1920; political activists of the movement for responsible government in 1940s
* Comrade Irabot and his revolutionary work and several others from 1947 onwards who had laid down their lives either for the cause of democratic rights or the emancipation of the political community inhabiting the present day Manipur territory.

We are hopeful that the commemoration programme would be one of the occasions where opinions are shared and consensus is built to carry forward collective endeavour towards a society free from subjugation, oppression and exploitation.

We wish the programme a grand success.

Long live the martyrs
Long live democracy