AMUCO, UCM gear up for June 18 anniv

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 26: As done every year, the June 18 anniversary would be observed this year too under the aegis of the observation committee which is constituted by the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) and the United Committee Manipur (UCM).
Speaking to media persons at the Kwakeithel Akham Leikai office of AMUCO this afternoon, observation committee chairman and UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam said that a four-member core committee and several sub-committees were constituted on May 22 in order to ensure that the June 18 anniversary is organised smoothly and successfully.
The phrase ‘without territorial limits’ inserted in the Bangkok Agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) on June 14, 2001 sowed seeds for the June 18 anniversary, Joychandra said.
Driven by a common resolve that the territorial boundary of Manipur and the sanctity of its integrity should not be disturbed, strong and vehement protest movements erupted against the Bangkok Declaration in different parts of Manipur on June 16 same year, he recalled.
As the protest movements raged on, the Manipur Legislative Assembly was set ablaze by a large number of people on June 18. In addition, a multitude of people stormed the Chief Minister’s bungalow. By then, Manipur was literally burning, the UCM president said.
As many as 18 people lost their lives in the battle to preserve the territorial boundary of Manipur and the sanctity of its integrity.
From the next year onward, the people of Manipur started commemorating the historic protest movement by paying homage to the 18 martyrs, he said.
The UCM then appealed to all the people to join the June 18 anniversary observance at the martyrs’ memorial at Kekrupat. He also appealed to all the people to support the observation committee in the form of cash, kind and words towards observing the June 18 anniversary successfully.
Observation committee vice-chairman and AMUCO president Pheiroijam Nando  Luwang said that the June 18 anniversary was organised in a very restricted manner in the past two years on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The June 18 anniversary is not restricted to paying homage to all those people  who laid down their lives for the cause of the State’s integrity.
It is also an opportunity  for all the people to stand collectively against all kinds of challenges to the integrity of Manipur, Nando Luwang said. Noting that the territorial boundary of Manipur and the sanctity of its integrity is still challenged by different forces, the AMUCO president appealed to all sections of the society to take a collectively pledge of protecting the integrity of Manipur.