61 years on, Manipur student body remembers four students killed in 1965 hunger march

The All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) on Thursday, August 27 observed the 61st Hunger Marchers’ Day, or Chaklam Chongchat, commemorating four student leaders who were killed during a protest against what was described as an artificial scarcity of rice in Manipur in 1965.

The observance, held on August 27, began with an early-morning invocation, followed by the hoisting of the AMSU flag and a floral tribute ceremony at the memorial site of the four students at Pishum Chingamacha in Imphal West district.

The programme later continued with a mass rally and public meeting, where speakers recalled the events of August 27, 1965, and reiterated the union’s longstanding positions on issues concerning the state.

An executive member of AMSU said Manipur has been facing multiple challenges since the outbreak of the ongoing crisis and attributed the present conflict primarily to the alleged presence of illegal immigrants in the state.

The AMSU leader said the state government should not compromise on the demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census.

The leader recalled that AMSU, which he described as the first student organisation in the state, has for years campaigned for the detection, deletion and deportation of alleged illegal immigrants under the slogan “Go Back Foreigner”.

He also referred to agreements reached with the government in 1980 and 1994 concerning the issue, saying the union would continue to press for action in view of what it described as the worsening situation in the state.

“There will be no justice if census and delimitation are being carried out in the present scenario,” the AMSU executive member said. He argued that the government should first prioritise restoration of peace and address the issue of alleged illegal immigration before undertaking such exercises.

Recalling the events that led to the observance, the leader said four students — Nongmeikakpam Promodini, Oinam Nabakumar, Laishram Chaobal and Waikhom Nilamani — were killed by security forces inside the premises of the then Chief Commissioner during the 1965 agitation over what protesters described as an “artificial scarcity of food” in Manipur.

According to AMSU, the incident became a defining moment in the history of the student movement in the state. The All Manipur Students’ Union was formed the following day, with the organisation subsequently emerging as a prominent student body in Manipur.

The union said it would continue its activities and movements on issues concerning the welfare and interests of the state.