An I-Day like never before for Manipuris

Umar Sharieef | NT

Bengaluru: It will be a never like before celebration for the people of Manipur, as the state continues to reel from the ethnic violence since May.

While the country commemorates the freedom it gained fighting against colonial British rule, few people of Manipur say they are deprived of freedom.

The ethnic violence in the North East state has sent a strong fear among the people, killing more than 160 people while a few women were also been raped over the same.

Displaced by the ongoing violence, many Manipur students and those who work, have given refuge in other parts of the country, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to News Trail, one among them said she will neither celebrate nor wish anybody on an important day in the history of India.

“The country is celebrating the important day and look at us, who are also the people who struggled for the freedom of India. We are killed, raped, and verbally abused, and our houses are torched and left in the streets begging to save us in the so-called democratic country. How can we celebrate this day?” asked a Manipuri.

We fought the British for this?

The Khongjom war in 1891, in which the Manipuris fought the British united, is considered to be one of the freedom struggle movements in India.

People from the hills, that are Thangkul Nagas, and people in the plains, who are called Meitieis, fought united.

Reminiscing that, another Manipuri sobbed and said, “Can you believe what is happening to us”.

“We have now become refugees in our own country because of the inability of the ruling BJP government in the center to stop the violence and bring peace. This should not happen to anybody in our country”, said a Manipuri.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee (CorCom), a revolutionary group in Manipur has called for a boycott of the Independence Day in the state, saying the state’s historical and sovereign identity has been marginalized within the framework of India’s colonial rule.

(Names and other details of the Manipur people mentioned here have been withheld)