As always been the victim of State policies since Manipur became a part of this nation called India in 1949 Manipur has always been a center of political crisis and upheaval. The present uncertainties faced by the people of Manipur are manifestations of the wrathful event (“takeover”) that took place in 1949. Manipur University which is meant to be a thriving arena of the fervent culture of political discourse has been in a tremendous structural breakdown in the last one and half month. It seems to be clear that the Indian government wants to wipe out the intellectual faculty of a whole society. Nature, as usual, from Delhi, is such that they are not satisfied yet with the presence of a military battalion inside the campus, the only of such kind in the whole world. The recent reaction from Delhi was to call in more armed forces into the campus. Is this a carbon copy of the same policy from Delhi in 1949 where Sardar Patel asked: “isn’t there a brigadier in Shillong?” Manipur dances to the tune of Delhi, or it is made by any means necessary. Manipur University has been reduced to a beehive of mainstream Indian Hindutva politics by the incompetent and spineless Brahmin sent from Delhi who needs Y Category security to dirty up the university space. The Vice-Chancellor has created confusion in the minds of the people whether the RSS agent is a military officer or an academician.
The issues exist in multiple facets, and it is clear to us that decisions made thousands of kilometers away in Delhi are unable to reflect the interest and aspirations of the people of Manipur. The new border issue again poses an existential threat to the territoriality of Manipur. The question is, will Kwatha village be another Kabaw Valley? Land sold at the expense of Manipur and at the benefit of Delhi. It seems that the policy is an appeasement fox ship from the part of Delhi to Myanmar, considering the China factor.
The recent arbitrary eviction at Khetri Bengoon, (Kobithabi) Imphal East is a reflection of Hindutva Biren government of Manipur that is dictated from Delhi, to play a divisive politics of hatred. The act from the BJP government is transplantation of Indian religious politics into Manipur. The Pangal, by the mere fact that the indigenous group is adherent of Islam, is discriminately treated as Indian Muslim by the venomous Hindutva politics of India. The task is to suit the politics of a single religious, political party that seeks to take advantage of the 2019 election. The BJP aims to divide the social fabric of Manipur on religious and community line.
The formation of Manipur in September 1949, when Maharaja Budhachandra signed a Treaty of Accession merging the kingdom into India and its merger was opposed by many groups and results in various disputes and many violence’s. It is a fact that the policies that continue till the present day remind of utmost atrocities of the massacre – Heirangoithong Massacre 1984, Oinam Massacre 1987, Tera Bazaar Massacre 1993, RMC Massacre 1995, Ukhrul massacre 1995, Churachandpur Massacre 1999, Malom Massacre 2000, to name some. The people of Manipur are in need of democracy and not the peculiar democracy of this so-called largest democracy. We now call for a collective struggle for the people of Manipur.
Note: The Article is written after discussion with Azeemuddin Shaik, a student from Manipur studying at JMI.