The Coordination Committee (CorCom) has called for a total shutdown across Manipur (Kangleipak) on October 15 from 6 am to 6 pm, observing the day annually as “National Black Day.” A statement by the CorCom Publicity Committee said medical services, emergency services, media, and religious functions will be exempted.
The committee condemned the 1949 merger of Manipur into the Indian Union, asserting that the state was fully sovereign at the time of independence in 1947. Citing historical records, including the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement, CorCom said Manipur had its own Constitution and was not a part of British India, India, or Pakistan on August 15, 1947.
CorCom claimed that the then elected government, political parties, the people of the hills and valley, and leftist movements opposed the annexation, and that the king was kept under house arrest and forced to sign the Merger Agreement under duress, rendering it illegitimate. The committee further said the annexation violated both domestic and international law and was not accepted by the United Nations, which has consistently supported decolonisation processes.
Highlighting ongoing resistance, CorCom said several organisations are continuing an armed struggle for the restoration of Manipur’s sovereignty. The statement emphasised that the right to self-determination remains inherent and that the people of Manipur still have the legal and moral right to reclaim their lost sovereignty.
The shutdown on October 15 is intended to draw attention to what CorCom calls the “illegal annexation” and to urge citizens to remember the historical struggle for Manipur’s independence.