— Political prostitution and administration slavery to New Delhi —
By Lt Col. H Bhuban Singh (Retd)
Sometime at the fag end of last month (May), Mr. A. Tondon and his friend representing TIPS, Mani-pur came to invite me to deliver a talk on “Political Scenario of Manipur: Political Prostitution and Administrative Slavery to New Delhi”. I immediately reacted saying that the present Government of Manipur (GOM) led by Shri Ibobi Singh was set up by us, not by New Delhi. The voters of Manipur are completely free to vote for any candidate or party whom they desired.
Though the landslide victory of Congress in the Khangabok by-poll, was not known then, I now will like to point out that Smt. Landhoni Devi with 22,245 votes defeated her nearest rival, Md. Qutub Ali, who could collect 3613 votes only, by a margin of 18,632 votes. This is the highest vote difference in the electoral history of Manipur - in fact Landhoni has dwarfed political giants like M Koireng Singh, Md. Alimuddin, Rishang Kei-shing etc. This is a clear example of political prostitution I tend to believe, perhaps TIPS is assuming.
So I suggested that under the circumstance, we are to blame ourselves only. We should own up our mistakes and rectify, rather than blame Delhi. But where the Government of India (GOI) is at fault, we will definitely blame India. We should be fair and impartial. Then, Tondon and me, agreed. So I request my distinguished guests to bear with me, if I go astray.
Indian Independence Act passed by the British Parliament on 18 July 1947 allowed the setting up of two independent dominions - Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan. There was no space for a third dominion. Nagas under AZ Phizo declaring Naga independence on 14th August and Mr. A. Daiho of Mao declaring Mao independence was inspired by foreign brain.
There was no legal sanctity.
His Highness Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh of Manipur, like most Indian Princes, signed the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement on 11th August 1947. Therefore Manipur to be part of India was already decided.
At midnight of 14-15 August, Mr. GP Stewart, the British Political Agent performed the ceremony of transfer of power, at the Residency, now Raj Bhavan. They met a few minutes before midnight, in an atmosphere of eerie silence. Exactly at midnight Mr GP Stewart stood up and His Highness also stood up. The Political Agent said:- ‘Your highness, from this moment, Britain has ceased to have any authority on India, Good bye’.
They shook hands, sat down and immediately stood up again. GP Ste-wart said, “Good Morning, Your Highness, I am the first Dominion Agent of India”.
Tea and cigarettes followed. Please notice that Mr. Stewart said “any authority on India,” not “on Manipur” - since Manipur was destined to be a part of India. Similar transfer of power on the Pakistani side must have taken place also.
The Maharaja was a patriotic Manipuri and Indian too. He approved the Ma-nipur Constitution Act, 1947 and elections were held in 1948. In his inaugural address of the first Ma-nipur Legislative Assembly of 53 member-house, on 18 October 1948, known as “Proclamation of His Highness Maharaja Bodh-chandra Singh”, he devo-ted one complete paragraph on “Manipur’s position in the Dominion of India”. His younger bro-ther Maharaja Kumar Captain Priya Brata Singh, endearingly called P.B. by his friends became Chief Minister.
The year 1949 arrived. Indian Constitution declaring India to be a republic on 26 January 1950 was getting ready under the able guidance of Dr. BR Ambedkar. Dominion Government was keen to complete the merger of all native States into India by September 1949, about four months ahead of 26 January. Hyderabad Police Action was undertaken on 13 September 1949. Hydera- bad State forces under General EI Edroos surrendered after one week of fighting. Captain Harnet of NCC, Manipur and later of Manipur Rifles was from Hyderabad State Forces.
By the third week of September 1949, only three Indian States were left, which were yet to sign Merger Agreements. One was Manipur, Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh signed the Manipur Mer-ger Agreement on 21 September 1949, amidst controversy of being forced to sign the agreement after he was put under house arrest in Shillong. The actual merger function was done on 15 October 1949 at Polo Ground, Imphal. His Highness Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh took the salute of merger function and Capt. Ganpathy, ADC to His Excellency the Governor of Assam, represented the Governor. Viewed politically, merger was noting, but transfer of administration of Manipur from the Maharaja to the newly appointed Chief Commissioner.
Now, Manipur’s gra-dual evolution from a Chief Commissioner’s province to Part ‘C’ State, then Union Territory and finally Statehood on 21 January 1972 are history. In 1957, Tuensang Frontier Tract of the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), merged into Naga hills district and got known as Naga hills and Tuensang district. The district was made a full fledged State of India in 1963 to please FGN (Federal Government of Nagaland). In the bargain, Assam lost Dimapur and other plain areas. Manipur was ill-treated by GOI and whenever the issue of Statehood of Manipur was raised in Delhi their pet reply was always ‘Nagaland was different. Don’t compare yourself with Nagaland’. Anyhow, Manipur became a full-fledged State nine years late after lots of agitation and police firing and burning of buses when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to Manipur. GOI seem to believe in the dictum ‘Be obstinate and be violent, if you want your due’.
Ironically, the rise of insurgent organizations perhaps as reply to India’s Naga appeasement policy took roots in Manipur. UNLF was born in November 1964, PREPAK on 9 October 1977, PLA on 25 September 1978. Now we have 17/18 insurgent organisations. Also the cult of revivalism and Meitei nationalism as spread by Naoria Phulo reached Manipur around 1958.
To counter insurgency, AFSPA 1958 was introduced in the entire Mani-pur around 1980.
The effects are the following unwarranted killings:
Heirangoithong - 14 march 1984
RIMS - 1996
Malom - 1999 - since then, Irom Sharmila Chanu is on fast.
Manorama - raped and killed -2004
Kumbi - 2007, custodial killing of Nongmai-them Tomba @ Chingnung - Shri O Joy Singh, H’ble MLA raised this issue on the floor of Manipur Legislative Assembly. I also went to Kumbi and met high SF officials. They have since mended their ways.
Now let us see what is happening around the world that is where world opinion is veering at.
Michael Didbin in his book ‘Dead Lagoon’ Wrote: “There cannot be true enemy unless we hate what we are not we cannot love what we are... For peoples seeking identity and re-inventing ethnicity, enemies are essential...” Samuel P. Huntington in his book ‘The clash of civilizations and remaking of the world order’ said: “We know who we are when we know who we are not, often only, when we know who we are against...”
By Lt Col. H Bhuban Singh (Retd)
Sometime at the fag end of last month (May), Mr. A. Tondon and his friend representing TIPS, Mani-pur came to invite me to deliver a talk on “Political Scenario of Manipur: Political Prostitution and Administrative Slavery to New Delhi”. I immediately reacted saying that the present Government of Manipur (GOM) led by Shri Ibobi Singh was set up by us, not by New Delhi. The voters of Manipur are completely free to vote for any candidate or party whom they desired.
Though the landslide victory of Congress in the Khangabok by-poll, was not known then, I now will like to point out that Smt. Landhoni Devi with 22,245 votes defeated her nearest rival, Md. Qutub Ali, who could collect 3613 votes only, by a margin of 18,632 votes. This is the highest vote difference in the electoral history of Manipur - in fact Landhoni has dwarfed political giants like M Koireng Singh, Md. Alimuddin, Rishang Kei-shing etc. This is a clear example of political prostitution I tend to believe, perhaps TIPS is assuming.
So I suggested that under the circumstance, we are to blame ourselves only. We should own up our mistakes and rectify, rather than blame Delhi. But where the Government of India (GOI) is at fault, we will definitely blame India. We should be fair and impartial. Then, Tondon and me, agreed. So I request my distinguished guests to bear with me, if I go astray.
Indian Independence Act passed by the British Parliament on 18 July 1947 allowed the setting up of two independent dominions - Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan. There was no space for a third dominion. Nagas under AZ Phizo declaring Naga independence on 14th August and Mr. A. Daiho of Mao declaring Mao independence was inspired by foreign brain.
There was no legal sanctity.
His Highness Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh of Manipur, like most Indian Princes, signed the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement on 11th August 1947. Therefore Manipur to be part of India was already decided.
At midnight of 14-15 August, Mr. GP Stewart, the British Political Agent performed the ceremony of transfer of power, at the Residency, now Raj Bhavan. They met a few minutes before midnight, in an atmosphere of eerie silence. Exactly at midnight Mr GP Stewart stood up and His Highness also stood up. The Political Agent said:- ‘Your highness, from this moment, Britain has ceased to have any authority on India, Good bye’.
They shook hands, sat down and immediately stood up again. GP Ste-wart said, “Good Morning, Your Highness, I am the first Dominion Agent of India”.
Tea and cigarettes followed. Please notice that Mr. Stewart said “any authority on India,” not “on Manipur” - since Manipur was destined to be a part of India. Similar transfer of power on the Pakistani side must have taken place also.
The Maharaja was a patriotic Manipuri and Indian too. He approved the Ma-nipur Constitution Act, 1947 and elections were held in 1948. In his inaugural address of the first Ma-nipur Legislative Assembly of 53 member-house, on 18 October 1948, known as “Proclamation of His Highness Maharaja Bodh-chandra Singh”, he devo-ted one complete paragraph on “Manipur’s position in the Dominion of India”. His younger bro-ther Maharaja Kumar Captain Priya Brata Singh, endearingly called P.B. by his friends became Chief Minister.
The year 1949 arrived. Indian Constitution declaring India to be a republic on 26 January 1950 was getting ready under the able guidance of Dr. BR Ambedkar. Dominion Government was keen to complete the merger of all native States into India by September 1949, about four months ahead of 26 January. Hyderabad Police Action was undertaken on 13 September 1949. Hydera- bad State forces under General EI Edroos surrendered after one week of fighting. Captain Harnet of NCC, Manipur and later of Manipur Rifles was from Hyderabad State Forces.
By the third week of September 1949, only three Indian States were left, which were yet to sign Merger Agreements. One was Manipur, Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh signed the Manipur Mer-ger Agreement on 21 September 1949, amidst controversy of being forced to sign the agreement after he was put under house arrest in Shillong. The actual merger function was done on 15 October 1949 at Polo Ground, Imphal. His Highness Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh took the salute of merger function and Capt. Ganpathy, ADC to His Excellency the Governor of Assam, represented the Governor. Viewed politically, merger was noting, but transfer of administration of Manipur from the Maharaja to the newly appointed Chief Commissioner.
Now, Manipur’s gra-dual evolution from a Chief Commissioner’s province to Part ‘C’ State, then Union Territory and finally Statehood on 21 January 1972 are history. In 1957, Tuensang Frontier Tract of the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), merged into Naga hills district and got known as Naga hills and Tuensang district. The district was made a full fledged State of India in 1963 to please FGN (Federal Government of Nagaland). In the bargain, Assam lost Dimapur and other plain areas. Manipur was ill-treated by GOI and whenever the issue of Statehood of Manipur was raised in Delhi their pet reply was always ‘Nagaland was different. Don’t compare yourself with Nagaland’. Anyhow, Manipur became a full-fledged State nine years late after lots of agitation and police firing and burning of buses when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to Manipur. GOI seem to believe in the dictum ‘Be obstinate and be violent, if you want your due’.
Ironically, the rise of insurgent organizations perhaps as reply to India’s Naga appeasement policy took roots in Manipur. UNLF was born in November 1964, PREPAK on 9 October 1977, PLA on 25 September 1978. Now we have 17/18 insurgent organisations. Also the cult of revivalism and Meitei nationalism as spread by Naoria Phulo reached Manipur around 1958.
To counter insurgency, AFSPA 1958 was introduced in the entire Mani-pur around 1980.
The effects are the following unwarranted killings:
Heirangoithong - 14 march 1984
RIMS - 1996
Malom - 1999 - since then, Irom Sharmila Chanu is on fast.
Manorama - raped and killed -2004
Kumbi - 2007, custodial killing of Nongmai-them Tomba @ Chingnung - Shri O Joy Singh, H’ble MLA raised this issue on the floor of Manipur Legislative Assembly. I also went to Kumbi and met high SF officials. They have since mended their ways.
Now let us see what is happening around the world that is where world opinion is veering at.
Michael Didbin in his book ‘Dead Lagoon’ Wrote: “There cannot be true enemy unless we hate what we are not we cannot love what we are... For peoples seeking identity and re-inventing ethnicity, enemies are essential...” Samuel P. Huntington in his book ‘The clash of civilizations and remaking of the world order’ said: “We know who we are when we know who we are not, often only, when we know who we are against...”
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