Understanding the social context of the people’s movement in safeguarding the integrity of Manipur

Maisnam Susmina
Manipur society is unique with its distinct and pellucid history but also has a controversial perspective. In 1949, under the Merger Agreement, Manipur was merged with the Indian Union. However, this merger was not a pledge to the people of Manipur. In the People Convention 1993 held in Imphal, it was resolved that the merger was annexed. Hence, it was null and void as it did not confer with the people of Manipur, causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the people. This displeasure has become one of the reasons for the emergence of numerous armed rebellions and major influential organizations in the region. Many multifarious circumstances angered the people of Manipur, including its merger without the consent of the people and its Assembly. The people question the uncertain state of affairs because the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 was still in force at the time of its merger, and a duly elected democratic form of Government with the State Assembly was not dissolved. Thus, under what conditions was the Maharaja of Manipur made to sign the agreement ? This act of injustice and arbitrariness led to the disintegration of Manipur's political history and status. It had sown the seeds of the present-day 'Separatist Movement,' triggering distinctly volatile sentiments and emotions in the people of Manipur.
Fast-forward to the present, Manipur faces many challenges related to law and order, economic backwardness, unemployment problems, years of negligence by the Center, identity crisis, bureaucratic corruption, economic exploitation, and resource exploitation, including threat to its territorial integrity and ethnic tension. The people of Manipur, with its vibrant and diverse ethnic groups, strive for a harmonious co-existence with its diverse communities, including the Meitei, Tangkhul, Maring, Kabui, Anal, Chiru, Chothe, Kharam, Kom, Tarao, Mao, Maram, Pangals, etc. It is worthwhile to mention 'Mera Houchongba,' a festival that showcases Manipur's rich cultural heritage with its religious and social significance. When Manipur was once a kingdom, 'Haomacha Loishang' assisted the king in meeting with different hill tribes and organized the Mera Hou-chongba festival without fail. The festival symbolizes inclusiveness, harmony, love, and unity among the various ethnic groups in Manipur by promoting and engaging in building a strong sense of brotherhood and ethnic co-existence, showing interdependence, promoting a sense of collective consciousness. Undeniably, the collective consciousness is crucial for the existence of Manipur society by producing and holding it together. The history of Manipur is not the history of a single ethnic group; it is a combination of the history of indigenous communities that culminate in a certain direction. These culminations become the norms of collective action which has created our history concrete and complete.  The minds of the indigenous population much ingrained with the idea that ethnic co-existence and collective consciousness are imperative for our existence. They must acknow- ledge its cultural diversity and shared history; without it, elements that define Manipur will be altered.
For those Indigenous communities who called Manipur 'Home,' the land and territory are inseparably linked to its identity, heritage, history, and honor. The Indigenous communities since time immemorial, particularly the Meiteis, have its customary religious and symbolic practice of burying the placenta (Naopham) and umbilical cord (Khoi-ree) of the infant after birth, forming an inseparable bond between the land and its indigenes. The people of Manipur have been fighting for their rights and protecting the integrity of Manipur. These desires for integrity and unity are not just about administration but also social cohesion. The movement fostering unity among Manipur's diverse ethnic groups emphasized shared ideas, interests, participation, and common aspirations that reflect anti-colonial senti- ments, extending skepticism towards external divisive policy. The recent and ongoing crisis caused by external aggression from section of people to fulfill their political objectives is fueled by complex historical, geopolitics, demogra- phic invasion, economic factors, and its strategic locations.
When the British Indian Government introduced the Butler Committee to reform the North East Indian Region in 1927-28, the Manipur State Durbar responded by submitting a demand to merge the hill and valley administration in 1928. This demand shows a strong sense of social solidarity and upholds the unity among the people of Manipur. Even though their demand was not fulfilled, these initiatives sowed the people's movement to safeguard the unity and integrity of Manipur. The political history of Manipur in 1930s is remarkable with the establishment of Nikhil Hindu Manipur Mahashabha in 1934 under the leadership of Irawat, the Mahashabha at its Chinga Session in 1938, demanded the introduction of the fully responsible Government in Manipur. The Mahasabha as a political organization in the latter years stimulated the political mobilization among the Meiteis. During the Nupi-Lan in 1939, the Mahasabha ignited the socio-political consciousness among the people of Manipur. Today, the role and responsibility of women in the Nupi-Lan are still reminisced about.
A further historical gesture from the people of Manipur was also in 1948 when Manipur witnessed widespread protest opposing the formation of Purvanchal, a unified province comprising Manipur, Assam, and other North Eastern States. These protests hold significant sociological implications as they manifest an intense desire among the people to safeguard their distinct culture, language, traditions, and political canon from potential assimilation into a larger entity, to protect the territory, and to preserve their identity. Eventually, in 1949, through the controversial Manipur Merger Agreement, Manipur was merged with India, losing its independence and becoming a part C State along with Tripura under India's administration. This act displeased the people of Manipur following many agitations, protests, and conflicts. In 1956, Manipur became a Union Territory under the State Reorganization Act, and in 1972, it became a full-fledged State.
The year 1965 is considered the birth of the student force in Manipur. In this year, the people of Manipur witnessed the unprecedented uprising of the student movement along with the formation of a student body. Later on, the said student body organized various movements to safeguard Manipur's territorial integrity. In the same year, the initiative trying to unify the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur with Nagaland by some Naga political leaders, thereby causing a threat to the territorial integrity and challenge to the ethnic- co-existence of Manipur; this initiative was opposed by the people of Manipur and held a firm stand by the student organization and submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister of India to nullify it. It reaffirms the strong sense of belonging and group consciousness among the various ethnic groups, holding a new idea of collective actions. The people's norms, beliefs, and values comprise a collective consciousness or a shared way of understanding and behaving, exerting a powerful force. Thus, these public stands bind the people of Manipur together and create social integrities.
It may be mentioned that in the 1990s, many organizations opposed potential threats to the State's integrity. In 1968, Manipur Territorial Congress Committee demanded assurance from the Government of India to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur. It is worthwhile to maintain that the Manipur People's Party made its political stand for the preservation of Manipur's territorial integrity. Manipur State Legislative Assembly in 1995, 1997, and 1998 resolved to defend the territorial integrity of Manipur, All Manipur United Clubs Organization in 1997 organized a big protest rally to uphold the unity and integrity of Manipur. In 2000, during the United People's Manipur defense rally, Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL) and the National Identity Protection Committee (NIPCO) introduced a public resolution to protect the integrity of Manipur. June's Uprising in 2001 remained an unforgettable event in the history of Manipur that witnessed a strong sense of collective representation among the citizens of Manipur. Various organizations stand in solidarity to pass a historic resolution called the People's Declaration in 2001. The recent Kuki demand for a Kukiland-Zale'n-gam challenges the territorial integrity and co-existence among the indigenous peoples of Manipur. Such challenges have not been compromised and will never be compromised by the indigenous population at any cost. We have witnessed countless collective actions over time, including protests and agitations and it will continue in the years to come if the integrity of Manipur is challenged.
According to political scientist Rajni Kothari, the institutions of the State have been captured by elites, leading to non-party political formations to put pressure on the State from outside. Many civil societies, including student organizations and women's organizations, are marking some degree of collective action in an organized strategy with a shared objective and ideology to protect the Idea of Manipur. On the contrary, Lewis A Coser has emphasized that access to the political system is an important mechanism and one of the solutions to conflict. In the current conflict in Manipur, both the Political and Non-party institutions have to focus on the procedures of conflict resolution and instruments such as dialogue, confidence-building measures, creation of conflict resolution mechanisms, and amenable policy which show a high moral standard to the distinctive political history and identity of Manipur to resolve such crisis is the need of the hour. Manipur as a State was formed by amalgamation of different ethnic groups; without these various groups, there would be no Manipur. The land is ingrained with cultural significance, representing ancestral heritage and traditional ways of life. Territorial disputes and claims often provoke the Indigenous community, with each group determined to assert and hold on to their undividedness. Such disputes have far-reaching consequences, including social unrest, economic instability, and political tensions. Dialogues, historical research, economic cooperation, and effective demo- graphic policy are essential to resolve these issues.
“Let the consciousness of being one bind the community together and create Manipur prosper again.”
“Let the 'Just peace' prevail instead of 'Imposed peace.”  The writer is a Research Scholar, Dept of Sociology, MU