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"What
we gain here and there by conflict .... and by thereats
will not survive long. It will only leave a trail of bad
blood"
Jawaharlal Nehru
The Government of India
- NSCN (IM) agreement (14 June, 2001) for extension of the
Cease-fire without territorial limits for 1 year w.e.f. 1
August, 2001 triggered the massive upsurge of social
unrest, protest and violence of 18 June, 2001 resulting in
unprecedented loss of 14 young lives and public property
in Manipur. Inspite of the Manipuri people's anguish and
fortnight long sufferings in the aftermath of that fateful
day, the Government of India has, until today, not shown
even a goodwill gesture to restore confidence of the
people, let alone resolution of the conflict caused by the
Cease-fire extension done under the NSCN (IM) threats.
Land and People :
Manipur is an ancient
land lying on India's North-East Frontier between Assam
and Burma. (Nagaland was carved out of Assam by an
enactment - State of Nagaland Act, 1962). Historically,
successive legal and administrative decisions taken
between 1826 and 1972 affirmed and reaffirmed the distinct
territory and identity of Manipur. Till the signing of the
Treaty of Yandaboo (1826) the Kabo Valley, bounded on the
east by the Ningthee river (now in Myanmar) was a part of
the principality of Manipur. It was the decision of the
British Government that Ningthee should be the boundary
between Ava i.e. Burma and Manipur. But expediency
prevailed and ubsequently they changed mind and consented
to the cessation of Kabo Valley to Burma in order to
appease the King of Burma. By an agreement dated 9 January
1834, Kabo Valley was ceded to Burma and Manipur was
granted 500 Sicca rupees monthly as compensation for the
loss of the territory. Manipur has since been maintaining
its distinct territory as sanctified, administratively
and legally, by the Manipur merger Agreement of 1949
and the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971
read with Article 1 of the Constitution of India. Thus
history will bear testimony to the sanctity of the
territory of Manipur which was a principality and
subsequently merged with the Union of India in 1949.
The territory of
Manipur, with a total geographical area of 22,327 sq.km.,
is divided into 9 districts. About one-third of Manipur's
18,37,149 population (1991 census) lives in the hill
districts comprising more than 85$ of its territory as the
districtwise details are given below.
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