The Coordination Committee (CorCom), a revolutionary group in Manipur, has announced that they will not participate in India’s Independence Day celebration in the state. They argue that Manipur’s historical and sovereign identity has been marginalized within India’s colonial rule and call for a general strike on August 15, 2023.
CorCom points to the ongoing ethnic crisis as evidence of India’s divisive policies that have fueled unrest in Manipur. They emphasize Manipur’s historical significance as an international legal entity predating British colonial rule by thousands of years, highlighting its existence as an Asiatic Sovereign Power with a written constitution and international treaties.
CorCom contends that India’s illegal annexation of Manipur in 1949 erased its sovereign history and imposed India’s Independence Day celebration on the state. They urge ethnic groups in Manipur to unite as “Manipur People” and demand their inherent right to self-determination. CorCom claims that the current ethnic crisis is a result of India’s divisive policies and use of hate-based tactics in counter-insurgency operations.
They call on the Manipur people to recognize these strategies and understand that restoring Manipur’s lost sovereignty is impossible within the framework of India’s colonial constitution. As in previous years, CorCom will boycott India’s Independence Day celebration on August 15 in Manipur. A general strike will be observed from 1:00 am to 6:30 pm on that day, with essential services like medical, electricity, water supply, fire service, media, and religious observances exempted.
