Aheibam Koireng Singh & Kakchingtabam Ruhinikumar Sharma
Shri Potsangbam Tomal Singh, s/o Late P. Tomba Singh was born in the year 1903. His birth and death were at the same place at his ancestral residence in Singjamei Chingamakha Ningthoujam Leikai, Imphal of Manipur state. He breathed his last on 21 November 1999. He was decorated and honoured with an award of Tamrapatra in 1972 by the Government of India for his outstanding contribution in the fight for freedom of India from the British colonial rule. In addition to his active political life, he was a man with multifaceted personality ‘having inventive skill in various fields of crafts and designs. His name was enshrined as Freedom fighter in the INA Memorial Complex at Moirang.
Right from his youthful days, he enthusiastically took part in the issues that concerns the land and its people. He joined Nikhil Hindu Manipuri Mahasabha in 1938. His role in the Second ‘Nupilan’ which translates as the Women’s War of 1939 is noteworthy. In consultation with Yuvaraj Bodhchandra, he along with the volunteers led by him brought those women agitators who received bayonet injury on 12 December to the hospital. The following day on 13 December, he presided a meeting at Police Lane with a mass gathering of women. In the said meeting, a resolution of ‘Civil Disobedience’ was adopted for the first time. Immediately, after the said meeting, women in large number came out and dismantled many rice mills and successfully prevented the vehicles from plying and transporting rice to outside the state. During those days, where Nikhil Manipur Mahasabha was there as the only political party in Manipur, major differences emerged between the group led by Khogendrajit and the one led by Lalita Madhop while the party president Hijam Irabot was away at Cachar. In it, he played a major role in intervening and mediating the crisis. In the year 1938, he was kept in detention at the prison for three months for writing an article condemning the imprisonment of Rani Gaidinliu, an illustrious freedom fighter. He was a working Committee member of Manipur Praja Sanmellani founded in January 7, 1940.
Netaji Subhas Chandra purportedly send a letter addressed to the political parties of Manipur for a quicker success of the ongoing war of Indian independence. The brief summary of the letter is as follows:
“My friends from political parties of Manipur! The war is being waged against the British and the Americans for the independence of India. Therefore I invite the Manipuris to join the war.
Yours
Sri Subhas Chandra Bose
Supreme Commander of the INA”
He was among those few political workers of Manipur who responded to the call of Netaji. In the year 1941-42, during the Japanese War in Manipur, he went to Moirang (presently comes under Bishnupur District) and was there for about four months to join the Indian National Army (INA) led war of Indian independence.
Though he played key roles in many of the intense political struggles, he was selfless and never did anything for self-gain. He got enchanted and took delight at the thought that he was able to contribute at least something for the betterment of the people. One thing which he very often said which is thought provoking and worth pondering is reproduced herein below:
In original Manipuri Manuscript |
Free English Translation by the author |
Manipur pikcharabasu mahousa lairembina watana pibiba wata padaba lamni … . |
Manipur is a self-sufficient land blessed bountifully by the mother nature … . |
Manipur Bihargi Leikai amana henna chaowi adubu eikhoina ekhutna suba tandrabadi asengba sana leibak oigani. |
A gramin (village) of Bihar is even bigger than Manipur, even then it would surely be a golden land if we are not lazy to toil and labour by our own hands, |
Yariba makhei mingondagi tangdana esana suja nomjaduna hingadabani. |
As possible as it could, one should live by relying on themselves with their own effort without depending on others. |
In terms of holding constitutionally elected post, his political career was not that noteworthy. But people respected him as a skilled craftsman and an artist. He never deserted his love for motherland even at the last moment of his deathbed. In the twilight of his life, he seemed very much troubled with the outward appearance of Manipur which overwhelmingly move towards pretentions and duplicities. So he often used to utter with discontent:
In original Manipuri Manuscript |
Free English Translation by the author |
Eikhoigi Sarkar pairibasingna wakhal khanthaba watpadagi Manipur na lairaribani sotharibani. |
The poverty and underdevelopment in Manipur continues to prolong due to thoughtlessness and insensitiveness of those in power at the government. |
Though he had departed more than a couple of decades ago, the sacrifices he made, the selfless service he rendered, his spirit of nationalism, his cherished dream of self-reliant and self-sufficient Manipur should not be gone into oblivion and deserves to get the attention of those in the echelons of power. Notwithstanding his association with the INA, his concern for the interest and welfare of the state of Manipur clearly illustrates his rootedness as the true son of the soil. His contributions and ideals needs to be recollected and retold and brought to public notice so as to remain fresh and stay relevant to people’s memory.