The Coordination Committee (CorCom), an umbrella organisation of proscribed underground groups, has declared October 15 as “National Black Day” to protest what it describes as the annexation of Manipur by India in 1949, and called for a 12-hour total shutdown across the state from 6 am to 6 pm on October 15, 2026.
In a statement signed by its Media Coordinator, M. Shak-Hen, CorCom alleged that India annexed Manipur, in violation of international law and the political and constitutional status the state had attained before the merger.
The organisation said it had been observing October 15 as National Black Day every year to protest the event, which it considers a loss of Manipur’s sovereignty and political rights.
Recounting the events leading to the merger, CorCom alleged that Maharaja Bodhachandra was taken to Shillong by Indian forces on September 21, 1949, and compelled to sign the Merger Agreement at Redlands, the residence of the Manipur Maharaja in Shillong. It described the agreement as an outcome of coercion rather than a voluntary political decision.
The statement also referred to the demolition of the remaining structures of the historic Redlands building on October 8 and 9, 2025, alleging that the act was connected to the removal of evidence associated with Manipur’s annexation.
Questioning the legal basis of the merger, CorCom argued that Manipur had established its own constitutional and representative political institutions before October 15, 1949. It cited the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, and the establishment of the elected National Assembly, which began functioning on October 18, 1948, as evidence of the state’s political development.
CorCom further referred to the Standstill Agreement and Instrument of Accession signed on August 11, 1947, contending that Manipur had agreed to associate with the proposed Indian Union on specified subjects, including defence, external affairs and communications, without surrendering its sovereignty in other areas.
Citing Clauses 7 and 8 of the Instrument of Accession, the organisation argued that the agreement did not commit Manipur to accepting any future Indian Constitution or relinquishing the Maharaja’s sovereignty beyond the powers expressly transferred under the instrument.
It also questioned the validity of the Instrument of Accession and the subsequent Merger Agreement, arguing that the agreements had not been ratified by a national legislature representing the people of Manipur. The statement invoked the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969, in support of its position that agreements concluded without valid authority or under coercion could be challenged.
CorCom alleged that the political circumstances surrounding the merger raised serious questions about the Maharaja’s authority and freedom to enter into the agreement. It cited a telegram dated September 18, 1949, from Shri Prakash to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which it said showed that arrangements had been made to prevent the Maharaja and his advisers from returning to Manipur before the agreement was signed.
The organisation also argued that Manipur’s political status before 1949 should be examined in the context of international developments following the Second World War, including decolonisation and the principle of self-determination. It referred to cases involving Hyderabad, Goa, Kashmir and Sikkim to question India’s approach to the integration of territories and the use of force in resolving political disputes.
CorCom further cited international legal principles concerning territorial integrity, state continuity and self-determination, arguing that the passage of time had not, in its view, resolved the question of Manipur’s political status. It maintained that the issue should be examined in the context of international law and the United Nations framework.
The organisation said October 15 represented a day of mourning over what it considers the loss of Manipur’s sovereignty and the rights of its people. It called upon the public to support the shutdown in protest against the 1949 merger.
The total shutdown will remain in force from 6 am to 6 pm on October 15, 2026, according to the statement. CorCom said essential services, including medical treatment, funeral rites, media activities and religious affairs, would be exempted from the shutdown.