Manipur observes Patriots' Day to pay tributes to martyrs of 1891

Manipur on Sunday observed Patriots' Day to commemorate all those who sacrificed their lives while defying the British Empire in 1891.

The Manipuris put up a brave resistance against the three columns of army, who were deployed by the then British government to take control of the independent princely state of Manipur after the death of then Maharaja Chandrakirti Singh in 1886.

After the British had won the war, they arrested those who had been involved in trying to defend their land, sentencing the key figures to death.

On August 13, 1891, Yuvraj Bir Tikendrajit Singh, Thangal General and Paona Brajabasi were hanged at Bir Tikendrajit Park.

At the function, Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey in a message said that the occasion reminds heroic forefathers like Bir Tikendrajit, Thangal General, Chirai Naga, Pukhrambam Kajao, Niranjan Subedar and a host of other martyrs who made supreme and selfless sacrifice for the freedom of their motherland.

They along with many others, who were banished for life from Manipur, believed in the freedom of their nation and challenged the might of the British Empire in 1891 embracing death and prison rather than live without freedom, she said.

“This historic day also jogs our memory that if we do not live and work together, we stand to lose. Let us, while observing the Patriots' Day, pledge to stand and fight as one against all those who challenge the freedom and integrity of the nation, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and other differences,” the Governor said.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh paid tributes to the freedom fighters at the Palace Compound here.

The Chief Minister later tweeted : “Paid my humble tributes to our forefathers on the occasion of Patriots’ Day at Hicham Yaichampat and Thangal General Complex, Palace Compound. Patriots' Day serves as a reminder of the indomitable spirit and unwavering determination of our forefathers who valiantly fought for the values we hold dear today.

As we commemorate this day, let us honour the sacrifices made by those who fought for our freedom and sovereignty. Let their bravery inspire us to uphold the unity, diversity, and progress of our beloved Manipur.”