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TheLegendofaLeader:HijamIrabot

"Nowatimehascomeduringwhichamutualcongregationandconstructionaretheonlyvitalquestions.Letusforgetourpersonalenmity,clanandnationalanimosityandbepreparedtolovethenationasawhole."HijamIrabot,atthe2ndSessionofNHMM

Thisarticlebloomsstraightfromtheheartasafloraltributetoourgreatleader,anoblespirited,HijamIrabot,whohadburntallhisheartandsoulforthegloryofmankindingeneralandthedowntroddeninparticular.Wordswillneverbeabletogivefulljustificationfortheimmensecontributionthathehasgiventousandnothingcanerodeitalso.

The30thofSeptember2005isthe109thBirthCentenaryofHijamIrabot.Hewasbornin1896atOinamLeikainearPishumthong.HewasthesonofHijamIboongohalandThambalngambiDevi.Theirfamilyconditionwasverypoor.Hisfatherdiedwhenhewasquiteyoung.HereceivedtheaffectionofhisauntSougaijamOngbiIbetonDevi.Hismotheralsodieduntimely.HewasmarriedtoRajkumariKhomdonsanaDevi,daughterofMaharajaChurachandSingh'selderbrotherChandrahasSingh.

HestartedhisschoolinginJohnstoneSchool.Hestudiedhereuptoseventhclass.In1913,whenhewasonlyseventeenyears,hewenttoDaccawithhisfriendSougaijamSamarendraSinghforfurtherstudies.InDacca,hecouldonlystudyuptoninthclassbecausehewasforcedtoleavehisstudyduetoacutefinancialproblems.In1915,hewenttoTripuraandspentfewmonthsthere.ButwhenhecamebacktoManipurhefoundhimselfhomeless.ItwasMaibamSamdenofWangkheiwhogavesheltertoIrabot.

HewasrecognizedtobetheguidingfounderoftheBalSangha,ScoutandChhatraSanmeloniwhilehewasstillintheJohnstoneSchool.HeevenventuredtolaunchstrikeagainstthemisadministrationoftheteachingstaffoftheJohnstoneSchoolwhenoneofhisclassmateswasbeatenandkickedinthepresenceoftheotherboys.ItisstillrememberedtobethefirststrikeinManipurbytheschool-

goingstudents.

Hewasanenthusiastofliteraryworks.Hisfirstendeavourwasbroughtoutin1922,intheformofahandwrittenmagazinecalledMeiteiChanu.Hewastheeditorofthismagazine.Themagazinecouldnotlastlongforwantofreadingpublicaswellasfinancialsupport.

ButitremainedapioneeringworkamongsttheearlypublicationsoftheManipurijournals.Likehiscontemporaries,IrabothadakeendesiretoproducesomeoriginalliteraryworksmainlytofillupthedearthinthecurriculumoftheHighSchoolstudies.HisbookSaidemSeirengwasprescribedasatextbookfortheHighSchoolstudentsoffifthclass.

HisliteraryattemptinnovelwritingwasfirstseeninYakairol,amonthlyjournalpublishedbyDr.NingthoujamLeirenwhenhisfirstnovelMohiniwaspublishedinaserializedformfromAugust1931.In1933,hegothisbookprintedunderthetitleDalilAmasungDarkhastIbatobridgethegapbetweentheManipurStateDarbarandthepublic.

HealsoactedasthegeneralSecretaryoftheManipurSahityaParishadfortwotermsi.e.,1937and1938.Withthebeginningof1947,Irabottriedhishandinthefieldofjournalism.ThefirstissueofhisweeklyjournalAnoubaJugwasproducedonSunday,the13thApril1947.

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Irabotwasaversatileactorandheactedinmanydramaticperformancesduringtheearlypartsofthe1930s.SomeoftheplaysinwhichheplayedactiverolewereNarSingh,SateeKhongnang,AreppaMarup,DevalaDevietc.Irabotwasalsoagoodartistandapainter.ApartfromhissportsmanshipheencouragedthetraditionalManipuristyleof'self-defence'commonlyknownasSat-jal.HewasoneofthefoundermembersoftheManipurSportsAssociation.

On1stApril1930,MaharajaChurachandSinghappointedIrabotamemberoftheSadarPanchayatCourt.Hewasgiven25parisofland,asalaryofRs.25permonthandservantstoattendtohiswife.AlthoughhehadpowersofaSecond-classMagistrateintheSadarPanchayatCourt,heneverencouragedbriberyandcorruption.

Helookedintoakindofjusticemostlyinfavourofthedowntroddenandthepoorpeasantsofthesociety.HewasagainsttheautocraticruleofthemonarchundertheshadowoftheBritish.Hewantedtoendtotheeternalclashingbetweentherichandthepoorandtheman-madeconceptofMasterandSlave.

Heusedhispositioninordertocomeclosertothepeople,studytheirproblemsandorganizethem.Hewasstronglyagainsttheunlawfulimpositionsconnectedwithpothang,yairek-sentry,khewa,dolaireng,chandansenkhai,wakheiroletc.HealsoexpressedhisrobustoppositiontotheatrocitiesmetedouttothepeoplebytheBrahmaSabha.

Hestartedhisfirstmasscampaignforthesocio-economicupliftofthepeopleandtheresultwastheformationoftheNikhilHinduManipuriMahasabha,mobilizingalltheManipurisinsideandoutsidethestate.ThefirstsessionoftheMahasabhawasheldon30thMay1934atImphal.

MaharajaChurachandSinghwasitsfirstPresidentandheheldthisposttillthethirdsessionoftheMahasabha.ItssecondsessionwasheldatTarapur,Silchar,on30thJanuary1936andIrabotactedastheGeneralSecretary.ThethirdsessiontookplaceatMandalay,Burmaon2ndmarch1937inwhichIrabotwastheVice-President.

InthefourthsessionoftheMahasabha,heldon30thDecember1938attheChinga

HillMaidan,IrabotwasappointedasitsPresident.InhisPresidentialspeech,heproposedtoabolishtheManipurStateDarbarandanintroductionofelectoralsysteminManipur.

TheManipurStateDarbarsubsequentlydeclaredtheMahasabhaanillegalpoliticalpartyon15thFebruary1939.

IrabotstartedtoadvocateanopenrebellionagainstthehighofficialsoftheStateAdministrationafterhisresignationfromtheSadarPanchayatmembershipon17thMarch1939.On7thJanuary1940,heimmediatelydefectedfromtheMahasabhaonmattersregardingthenon-agreementonphysicallysupportingtheNupi-lanamongitsmembers.

OntheverysamedayheorganizedanewpartycalledtheManipurPrajaSammeloni.Hewasarrestedfromhishouseon9thJanuary1940andsentencedto3yearsimprisonmentforaspeechon7thJanuary1940atthePoliceLineBazar.HewaspreviouslykeptattheImphaljailbutlatershiftedtoSylhetjail.

DuringhisimprisonmentintheSylhetjail,hecameacrosswithmanyoftheCongressandCommunistleaders.HewasverymuchinfluencedbythecommunistideologyandbecameanardentbelieverinMarxism-Leninism.

IrabotwasreleasedfromtheSylhetjailon20thMarch1943.Buthewasnotperm

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ittedtoenterManipur.FromSylhethewenttoCacharwhereheplungedheadlongintothepeasantmovement.HeattendedthefirstPartyCongressoftheCommunistPartyofIndiaheldatBombayfrom23rdMayto1stJune1943asanobserver.

IrabotwasdetainedasasecurityprisonerintheSilcharDistrictjailwitheffectfrom15thSeptember1944onthechargethathewasacommunist.Hewasreleasedon10thJanuary1945.aftermorethan5yearsofpoliticalexileIrabotwasgivenpermissiontostayinManipurforaweeki.e.,from2ndto10thSeptember,1945.

HisrequestforanextensionofhisstayinManipurwasdenied.HeledaveryactivelifewhilehewasinAssam.HeworkedintheKishanFrontoftheCommunistPartyandwasappointedGeneralSecretaryoftheCacharDistrictKishanSabhaandPresidentoftheSurmaValleyKishanSabha.

IrabotwasfinallypermittedtoenterManipurinMarch1946.HeorganizedanewpartycalledtheManipurPrajaMandalinApril1946.HeattendedtwosessionsoftheNikhilManipuriMahasabhabeforehewasexpelledfromthemembershipoftheWorkingCommitteeoftheMahasabhaonthechargeofbeingamemberoftheCommunistPartyofIndia.

TheMahasabhasympathizedwiththeaspirationsoftheIndianNationalCongress.AfterhisresignationfromthemembershipoftheMahasabha,hecommittedhispoliticalstrategyandpersonalenergyfortheupliftmentoftheManipurPrajaSamm

eloni.ManipurPrajaSanghawasformedmergingthetwoorganizations,ManipurPrajaSammeloniandManipurPrajaMandaltobecomeapowerfulpoliticalpartyinManipur.

AmeetingofallthepoliticalpartiesofManipurwasconvenedattheAryanTheatreHallon4thOctober1946toformasinglepoliticalparty.Whentheappointmentofrepresentativesfromthedifferentpartieswasdiscussed,surprisingly,Irabot'snamewasparticularlyexcludedfromthelistofthenominatedmembers.

ManyofthemembersoftheNikhilManipuriMahasabharefusedtoacceptIrabot'smembershipbecauseofhisconnectionwiththeCommunistParty.IrabotwalkedoutoftheHallandothermembersofManipurPrajaSanghaandManipurKrishakSabhafollowedhim.

ThemostnotableoutcomeofthiseventwastheabolitionoftheNikhilManipuriMahasabhaandtheemergenceoftheManipurStateCongress.TheManipurPrajaSanghaboycottedtheprocessofformingtheConstitution-MakingCommittee,whichleftthefieldopentotheCongressonly.

TheelectiontothefirstManipurStateAssemblybeganon11thJune1948andcontinuedupto27thJuly1948.Theelectionwasforatotalseatof53seats.IrabotcontestedfromUtlouconstituencyanddefeatedhisnearestrivalby1070votes.

AnewtwistcameinthelifeofIrabot.On21stSeptember1948,IrabotonbehalfoftheManipurPrajaSanghaandManipurKrishaksabhacalledameetingattheM

.D.U.HalltoprotestagainsttheformationofPurbachalPradesh,comprisingofManipur,Tripura,CacharandLushaiHills.

AscuffletookplaceatPungdongbamwhentheManipurSatePolicepreventedagroupofcitizenswhocametoattendthemeetinginwhichapoliceofficerwaskilledonthespot.IrabotsensedthattheStateGovernmentwouldholdhimresponsiblefortheincidentandtakeuprepressivemeasuresagainsthim.Fromthatdayhewentunderground.

TheManipurstatecouncildeclaredtheManipurPrajaSanghaandManipurKrishak

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Sabhaunlawful.ThestateofficialsdeclinedtoconstituteanEnquiryCommitteetoinvestigatethePungdongbamincident.IrabotcouldnotattendthefirstmeetingoftheManipurLegislativeAssemblyheldon18thOctober1948becauseofthewarrantagainsthim.

ThefirstCommunistPartyofManipurwasformedon23rdAugust1948.ButitcouldnotlastlongaftertheoccurrenceofPungdongbamincident.AnundergroundCommunistPartyofManipurwasagainformedon29thOctober1948,underthePresidentshipofIrabot.

Hefeltthatalthoughthedemocraticrevolutionhadactuallydrawncloserinthestate,thegreatmassofthepeasantrywasasexploitedasever.Hewasfirmlyconvincedoftheinexorablenessofanarmedstruggleledbythepeasantstobringaboutanymeaningfulchangesinthesociety.

ThestateadministrationannouncedarewardofRs.1000forthearrestofIrabot.Therehadbeenastronganti-CommunistdriveinManipur.TheManipurStatePolice,theManipurRiflesandtheAssamRiflesintensifiedtheiroperationsagainsttheCommunistParty,andmanyofitsworkerswerearrested,triedandcharged.

WhileonhiswaytoManipurfromBurma,Irabothadbeenattackedwithtyphoidandsuccumbedtoiton26thSeptember1951.Manipurhaslostitsfaithfulsonwhocourageouslystooduptowipeouthertears,leavinghisdreamunfulfilled.Much

waterhasbeenfloweddowntheImphalriverbuttounearthatrueanddedicatedleaderlikeHijamIrabotstillsremainamyth.

"EconomicallyManipurisabackwardcountry.Itwouldbetherightapproachforallofustofillupthisgreatdeficiency,andtobringadvancementandprosperityinthecountry."HijamIrabotatthe1stSessionofNHMM