SOREPA declares gen strike on Oct 15

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 11 : In protest against alleged forceful merger of Manipur with India on October 15, 1949, newly floated revolutionary outfit Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA) has called a general strike on October 15 from 5 am to 5 pm.
SOREPA publicity in-charge, in a statement alleged that Manipur was annexed by India by coercing the then Maharaja of Manipur to sign a "Merger Agreement" on September 21, 1949 in Shillong before it was announced on October 15 the same year.
Since then, people of Manipur have been living under the reign of terror and oppressive rules of "colonial India" whose only motive is to decapacite the people and ultimately install their authority, alleged SOREPA.
Revolutionary or liberation movements being launched by various outfits is the most fitting response to forceful annexation, it said while adding that the world knows well that Manipur was an independent Nation in the Western South East Asia (WESEA) region with all its uniqueness.
Manipur regained independence from being a British protectorate on August 14, 1947 and managed to live independently for almost two years but taking advantage of lack of adequate defence force, India had forcefully occupied Manipur, it alleged.
For more than 7 decades, the people of Manipur have been denied basic human rights and been subjected to ill treatments with draconian rules and laws and the public should be well aware of this, said the outfit.
People should also need a critical analysis of issues, ranging from cultural assimilation effort to intoxicating youths,  being created by India to usurp the land, the publicity in-charge said.
The symbolic protest in the form of boycott, general strike or observation of black day against the forceful merger of Manipur is not enough, the in-charge alleged while adding that it is high time for all to join hands in re-constructing Manipur's own National character.
Maintaining that people need to study and know the foundation of Manipur well to understand what kind of a country India is, the publicity in-charge also "National Resistance Movement" will go smoothly once one knows India fully.
While urging all to support the general strike, the publicity in-charge said that health and other emergency services are exempted from the purview of the general strike.