Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 11 2010:
Announcing boycott of Independence Day of India which is to be celebrated on August 15, the proscribed outfit People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) has called a State-wide general strike on this day with effect from 1 am to 5 pm.
Issuing a statement in this connection, the outfit conveyed that it would also impose curfew in every nook and corner of Kangleipak for 16 hours from 1 am to 5 pm on August 15 to prevent the celebration.
Appealing to the people to support the general strike, the outfit has forbidden any one, including pedestrians, cyclists and rickshaw drivers from venturing out of their houses during the general strike.
However, media, medical, funeral services/religious functions, electricity and water supply would be exempted from the purview of the general strike, PREPAK said, adding that media-persons should put on light colour cloths for easy identification.
Explaining the stand of PREPAK in boycotting the Independence Day of India, the statement signed by its secretary in-charge, department of publicity, Aheiba Angom asserted that after attaining independence from the British, India has been pursuing the colonial policy of its former ruler by way of annexing smaller independent kingdoms and suppressing the rights of the smaller communities.
Similarly, when the British Government left Kangleipak after 56 years of colonisation, King Budhachandra hoisted the flag of independence once again at the Royal Palace.
Subsequently, the King abolished the governance of Manipur State Durbar which was in existence since 1907 and set up the Manipur State Council on July 1, 1947 and elected the chairman of Manipur State Constitution Making Committee, FF Pearson as the first Chief Minister of 'His Highness, The Maharaja in Council' for the administration of Kangleipak.
Following the expiry of the term of the Council, an Interim Council was set up on August 14, 1947 and MK Priyobarta, the younger brother of King Budhachandra was elected as the Chief Minister and seven other Ministers were appointed for continuation of the administration.
Later on to institute a democratically elected Government in Kangleipak, for the first time an election was held from June 11 to 30, 1948 under the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947 drafted by a committee headed FF Pearson, who was the former president of Manipur State Darbar and chairman of Manipur State Constitution Making Committee.
The Constitution of India had come into force on January 26, 1950, three years after an self-elected Government was installed in Kangleipak.
So, there is no reason why Kangleipak should be under the administration of Indian Constitution nor people of Kangleipak participate in the Independence Day celebration of India.