MAYOL Long March enters 3rd Day; Reaches Konthoujam

Thousands of people from Konthoujam Village and its surrounding areas extended a warm welcome to the volunteers of Manipur Youth League (MAYOL) as they reached Konthoujam Leirembi Ima Complex this afternoon. The volunteers of MAYOL are participating in a 21-day long march that began on December 20, 2023, from Kangla Uttra Shanglen. The purpose of this march is to rejuvenate the Manipuri people and protect the political boundaries of our former nation from enemies. The long march will conclude on January 9, 2024, which marks the 190th Death Anniversary of Maharaja Ghambhir Singh, the leader who drove out the Burmese occupiers and led the Manipur levy.
On the third day of the long march, a meeting was held at Konthoujam Lairembi Imagi Shanglen under the initiative of the Peoples’ Protection Committee (PPC). During the event, Rinku Khumukcham, the Editor of Imphal Times, emphasized the importance of understanding the root cause of the ongoing conflict that has plagued the state since May 3.
“Over seven and a half months have passed, and the crisis remains unresolved. As the crisis persists and those with the power to end it remain silent spectators, it is crucial for us, the Manipuri people, to uncover the true cause of this bloody crisis,” Rinku said. He added that this crisis has revealed attempts by certain vested interests to distort our former nation. Manipur’s integrity has been threatened time and again, despite its merger with the Indian Union through an agreement. It appears that some individuals who could have prevented this crisis are content, as they believe their mission to divide Manipur will finally succeed. The Burmese attempted this from 1819 to 1826 but failed. The government sowed division among the people when granting statehood to Manipur. Now, Kuki armed militants openly advocate for separate administration to divide Manipur into pieces. However, they have forgotten that the dream of dividing Manipur will never succeed as long as the Meitei and other indigenous communities of the state remain united. Today, the youth of Manipur will continue their activism to protect our former nation at all costs.
Joychandra Konthoujam, the President of the United Committee Manipur (UCM), also spoke at the event and stressed the need to increase our indigenous population. He expressed concern over the declining population of indigenous people. If we do not increase our birth rate, we will face the risk of being dominated by other ethnic groups in the next 50 years. The youth are the pillars of our future, and we must educate them for what lies ahead.
Asem Prince, the Convenor of MAYOL, stated that the volunteers reached Sekmai on the first day and stayed at Parja Higher Secondary School last night. They began their march this morning and arrived at Konthoujam Leirembi around 11 am. “We appreciate the support of the local people as we pass through their villages. Many people, including youths, elders, and Meira Paibi members, participated in the march, chanting slogans like ‘Let us unite for tomorrow’ and ‘We will no longer face devastation.’ We know that the local people and the people of Manipur support us. Since May 3, the Kuki narco terrorists have initiated violence, but we promise to face them with our strength,” Asem Prince said.
The long march will proceed towards Nambol this afternoon.