The proscribed umbrella organisation Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) on Sunday announced that a total shutdown to remain in effect from 6 am to 6 pm has been imposed in the entire Manipur on Republic Day.
For mainland India, it is a day of happiness and jubilation when one feels proud before others as the occasion marks the building of a people’s government by officially launching the Constitution, ASUK stated in a release issued by its convenor, publicity committee S Mangal. As for the people of Manipur, the day marks the second black day; the first being on October 15, it further stated, adding, January 26 is the second black day.
Based on the Constitution which came into existence on January 26, 1950, Manipur, which already existed as a sovereign and a people’s republic by keeping the king as the head of the government in name only, was forcefully merged into India and it was reduced to a Part C state which was lower than that of a Union Territory, ASUK stated.
In August, 2019, the Indian Parliament passed ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019’ by scrapping Article 370 against rules and forcefully separated Jammu and Kashmir into two parts to reduce it to a Union Territory, it stated. The whole affair was and is still condemned within and without India as it broke the International Law, it added. It was criticised as an act of setting aside ‘Natural Justice’ and stripping the dignity of Kashmiris away, ASUK continued.
The forceful merger of Manipur and its reduction to a part C state violated the international laws to a further and larger extent when compared to the case of Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
Therefore, the people of Manipur and ‘Western South East Asia (WESEA)’ have no reason or rhyme to take part in the celebration going to be held on January 26; the people should rather stage a hunger-strike on the said date, ASUK stated.
Health and religious affairs, emergency activities shall be exempted from the purview of the shutdown, it mentioned. To remind the people that they are still under colonisation, ASUK appeals all to all to extend support to the ‘Total Shutdown’, it added.
