The proscribed People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) has called upon the people of Kangleipak not to observe Statehood Day on January 21, alleging that Manipur’s integration into the Indian Union was the result of forced annexation and continued suppression.
In a statement issued by Laibaak Ngaakpa Luwang, Charge d’Affairs, Publicity and Propaganda of PREPAK, the outfit claimed that January 21, 1972, when Manipur was granted statehood within the Indian Union, is being projected as a celebration of independence despite what it described as the continued annexed status of Kangleipak. According to PREPAK, the annual observance of Statehood Day serves to misrepresent historical realities and mislead the people.
Recalling historical events, the statement said that Kangleipak, although a British Protectorate State for several years, did not merge with India voluntarily after August 14, 1947. It alleged that on September 21, 1949, the then Maharaja of Kangleipak, Bodhachandra, was summoned to Shillong and compelled to sign the Merger Agreement under duress, following which Kangleipak was brought under Indian administration. PREPAK stated that the territory was first converted into a Part C State, later administered as a Union Territory under a Chief Commissioner, and eventually granted statehood on January 21, 1972.
The outfit alleged that since 1972, successive state governments have used Statehood Day as a means to create what it described as a false narrative, terming the observance an affront to the history and dignity of Kangleipak and its people. It appealed to the public to refrain from participating in the celebrations.
PREPAK further alleged that after the withdrawal of the British, India continued colonial-era administrative practices by annexing smaller nations and suppressing their political aspirations. It claimed that Kangleipak, which it described as an Asiatic sovereign state, was forcibly integrated into India, followed by systematic attempts to erode its political identity. According to the statement, traditional institutions related to Kanglei governance, clan systems and indigenous social structures were deliberately weakened.
The statement also accused scholars aligned with the Indian state of distorting history to portray Kangleipak as an integral part of India since ancient times, thereby legitimising what it termed imperialist annexation. It alleged that Indianisation was imposed across religion, culture, theatre, naming systems, dance, music, dress, food habits, festivals, customs, language and literature, leading to the marginalisation of indigenous belief systems and cultural practices.
PREPAK claimed that political control was accompanied by economic exploitation, alleging that local resources were extracted while the population was pushed into poverty and dependency. It further alleged that governance in Kangleipak remains controlled from New Delhi, with key decisions taken by central authorities, and claimed that elected legislators, the Council of Ministers and senior administrative positions function under central influence, leaving indigenous people excluded from leadership roles.
The outfit further alleged that the education system imposed after annexation alienated children from their social environment, livelihood practices and cultural values, resulting in generations that are confused and marginalised. It also criticised Indian electoral politics, alleging that democracy in practice has been reduced to a five-year cycle serving the interests of a few individuals, while eroding social bonds and dignity within Kanglei society.
According to the statement, numerous development projects implemented after annexation have failed to improve the condition of the people, with benefits allegedly siphoned off and new forms of exploitation emerging. PREPAK questioned the tangible outcomes of such projects and claimed that official narratives do not reflect ground realities.
The statement by PREPAK described the forthcoming 54th anniversary of Manipur attaining statehood as an attempt to deceive the people of Kangleipak. It reiterated its appeal to the public to boycott the observance and to remain conscious of what it termed the historical injustice inflicted upon the land and its people.