Manipur: 7 banned groups call shutdown on October 15 over 1949 merger with India

Imphal: Seven banned insurgent groups in Manipur have called for a statewide shutdown on October 15 to mark what they describe as “National Black Day”, protesting the state’s merger with the Indian Union in 1949.

The shutdown call comes amid renewed violence in Manipur’s hill districts, where nine people were killed in a fresh round of clashes involving members of the Kuki and Naga communities on Friday and Saturday.

The Coordination Committee (CorCom), an umbrella organisation comprising six banned underground outfits, has announced a 12-hour shutdown from 6 am to 6 pm on October 15. The groups are the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), PREPAK-Pro, Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA), which is not part of the six-member coalition, has separately called for a 12-hour shutdown from 5 am to 5 pm on the same day.Both organisations have said essential services, including medical emergencies, media operations and religious activities, will be exempted.
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Why are the groups protesting?

In separate statements, CorCom and SOREPA said October 15 is observed annually to protest Manipur’s merger with India. Referring to the state by its former name, Kangleipak, the outfits alleged that the merger violated international and domestic legal provisions.

They cited Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, and the Indian Independence Act, 1947, in support of their claims.

The groups also alleged that the then ruler, King Bodhchandra, was pressured into signing the Manipur Merger Agreement in Shillong on September 21, 1949, claiming he was under house arrest and at gunpoint.

CorCom further linked the demolition of the historic Redlands building in Shillong in October 2025 to what it described as a continuing pattern of aggressive annexation.

SOREPA, meanwhile, accused India of pursuing imperialist policies after Independence by bringing smaller nations under its control and fuelling communal tensions. It urged people to resist what it termed a colonial occupation.
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Shutdown call amid renewed violence

The shutdown announcement comes as security forces work to contain fresh violence in Manipur’s hill districts.

Nine people were killed in clashes reported in Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts on Friday and Saturday. The violence followed the killing of a 22-year-old woman in Chassad village in Kamjong district, which triggered an exchange of fire between Kuki and Naga armed groups.

Subsequent attacks were reported in villages in Kangpokpi and Kamjong districts, while a man was also killed near Chepu Yaolen village in Ukhrul district. Officials said additional security forces had been deployed in the worst-affected areas.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the killings and appealed to all communities to exercise restraint. He said authorities had been directed to take immediate steps to restore peace and ensure the safety of residents.

Manipur has also been affected by prolonged ethnic violence between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo communities in the surrounding hills. The earlier conflict left more than 300 people dead, displaced thousands and left dozens of people missing.

The October 15 shutdown has been called by the banned outfits in connection with the 1949 merger anniversary. Both organisations have urged the public to observe the protest while exempting essential services.