69th death anniversary of Hijam Irabot Fitting tributes paid to late leader

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 26 : The 69th death anniversary of Lamyanba Hijam Irabot was organised successfully by Lamyanba Irabot Ningshing Thouram Observation Committee (LINTOC) under the supervision of the Protection and Preservation Committee Manipur (PPCM) at Singjamei Chinga Makha Oinam Leikai community hall today.
The programme organised with strict adherence to COVID-19 related SOP saw attendance of many followers of the late leader from across the State, said a statement of PPCM while adding that two minutes silence in honour of Lamyanba Irabot was also observed before paying floral tributes.
PPCM's convenor, Jitendra Ningomba, LINTOC's convenor and co-convenor, S Ratankumar and Th Ajit also delved into the life and work of the late leader during the event, it said.
The need for the presence of a stalwart like Hijam Irabot is increasingly felt as discrimination and subjugation of people North East continues till date, it said.
People need to follow the path of the leader, study his ideology and qualities he possessed to uphold the territorial  integrity of the State, it said and continued that he was the first and the truest people's leader who dedicated his entire life to bring a revolutionary change and make Manipur a unique land.
He rose against all odds to fight feudalism and colonialism in the early 20th century, to shine and his grit is worth remembering even after decades of his death, the statement continued.
Mentioning about the liberation movements in South East Asia in the mid 20th century, PPCM also recalled the revolution initiated by Hijam Irabot, who was inspired by communist ideologies apart from highlighting relevance of such movements in the present scenario.
The study of the life, work and goals envisaged by the leader during his 51 years will surely set Manipur apart from the Manipur after assimilation to India, it said while contending that the then situation, rampant favouritism, inequality and discrimination made him a leader and no such leader would arise from the current disarranged and externally influenced society.
Un-armed movements led by the communist leader against the then unjust British colonial rule in Manipur, Pungdongbam incident which forced him to take up arms and controversial merger of Manipur to India on October 15, 1949 had a profound influence on him, it said while adding that Indian Government used all measures to suppress him and since then the revolutionary movement led by Irabot turned against India.
But sadly the leader succumbed to typhoid on September 26, 1951 in Tangbo village which lies along the Ningthi River of Kabow valley in Burma (now called Myanmar), PPCM recalled and further asserted that he still remains as the rarest leader born on the soil of Manipur. He was not only a revolutionary leader but was also a fine player, writer, drama artiste, journalist, poet and a singer, it continued while further asserting his versatility and courage made him the first true revolutionary the State has seen.
Many other organisations across the State including Jananeta Irabot Memorial Trust, Nambol and Jiribam also observed the death anniversary and paid rich tributes to the late leader.