Manipur State Constitution Act 1947

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Manipur State Constitution Act
Manipur (princely state)
Territorial extentManipur
Enacted byManipur (princely state)
Passed26 July 1947
Enacted1947[1]
Signed byBodhchandra Singh
Status: Unknown

Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 is an act which enabled Manipur State to have a dejure written constitution enacted by the last Maharajah of Manipur Bodhchandra Singh.[2] The validity of the act in present time is debated.[3]

Background[]

In 1934, Nikhil Manipuri Mahsabha (NMM) was established by Hijam Irabot with the-then Maharajah Churachand Singh as President.[4] Whilst the platform was initially limited to cultural activism and received royal patronage, by 1938 it had become a prominent political front advocating for the democratization of the powers held by the Manipur State Durbar and an overhaul of the corrupt colonial administration.[4][5][6] Proposals for reforms were twice submitted to the Durbar in 1938 and 1939.[5][6] They advocated for abolition of exploitative taxes, reunification of the hills with the valley, establishment of self-rule, installation of a Panchayat system, and the establishment of a unicameral legislature based on suffrage.[5][6][4]

Fissures between the royal house and NMM were also prominent; NMM was declared a political party where no state government employee could participate and Irabot had to resign from the Sadar Court.[4] In the ensuing deliberations, Churachand and the British administrator F. F. Pearson declined to concede to the demands of NMM claiming that Manipur was not "ripe for democracy".[5][6] Popular resistance continued — the Second Nupi Lan would play a significant role in mobilizing anti-feudal sentiments in the masses.[4][6][7]

Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh ascended the throne in November 1941, on Churachand's death.[5] Whilst the first few years passed without any significant incident with Manipur being an active site of successive wars, he was subject to a protracted and vigorous resistance from multiple political parties — Irabot's (MKS), allied to the Indian National Congress, Manipur Praja Sangha etc., once the World War II ended in 1945.[5][6] In August 1946, NMM passed a resolution urging for the immediate establishment of a constitution-drafting machinery.[6] Krishak Sabha and Praja Sangha demanded a "responsible" government in multiple meetings, throughout the year.[6] Finally, on the advise of Cabinet Mission, Bodhchandra consented to the formation of a 15 member Constitution Making Committee in December 1946.[8][6]

Constitution-making[]

The Constitution Making Committee had five members selected from a consultation with "educated men" of the Hills, five members were elected from the valley, two members were nominated by the Maharajah and Chairman of the Chief Court, and the remaining three were nominated by the Durbar.[5][9] Overall, the committee was dominated by Congress men and their sympathizers.[4] President of the Durbar, Pearson became the Chairman.[5] Krishak Sabha as well as Praja Sangha had criticized the composition-rules as undemocratic and boycotted elections to the committee.[4][5][6]

The commission took office in February 1947 and was formally inaugurated on 3 March.[5][6] On, 10 March, the Maharajah addressed it in a public ceremony.[5][10] The first meeting was held on 24 March 1947 and on 29 March, broad resolutions were adopted on the central features of the would-be constitution.[5][11] The final version of the constitution was passed by the committee on 8 May 1947.[6][11] The draft was soon vetted by the Durbar and on receiving Bodhchandra's consent, was enacted as the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 on 27 July 1947.[5]

Reference[]

  1. ^ Manchanda, Rita (2015). Making war, making peace : conflict resolution in South Asia. Tapan K. Bose. New Delhi, India. p. 100. ISBN 978-93-5150-098-8. OCLC 897946353.
  2. ^ Banerjee, S. K. (1958). "Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 19 (1): 35–38. JSTOR 42748891.
  3. ^ E. Ahrari,Fixing Fractured Nations The Challenge of Ethnic Separatism in the Asia-Pacific (2010), p. 123 "The Manipur State Constitution did not lose its validity with the signing of the merger agreement"
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Parratt, John; Parratt, Saroj Arambam (2000). "Hijam Irabot and the Radical Socialist Democratic Movement in Manipur". Internationales Asienforum (in German). 31 (3–4): 275–288. doi:10.11588/iaf.2000.31.988.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Thoiba Singh, Wakambam (1984). Meetei polity a study of the socio-economic and political changes among the Meeteis from 1750 to 1950 (Thesis). Guwahati University/Shodhganga. p. 228-232 (Chapter 5). hdl:10603/69732.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l Indrakumar, Konthoujam (30 April 2020). "Colonialism and Movement for Democracy in Manipur". In Arambam Noni; Kangujam Sanatomba (eds.). Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 61–69. doi:10.4324/9781315638317. ISBN 978-1-00-304589-2.
  7. ^ Parratt, Saroj N. Arambam; Parratt, John (October 2001). "The Second 'Women's War' and the Emergence of Democratic Government in Manipur". Modern Asian Studies. 35 (4): 905–919. doi:10.1017/S0026749X0100405X. ISSN 1469-8099.
  8. ^ Ibochou Singh, Khwairakpam (1985). British administration in Manipur 1891–1947 (Thesis). Guwahati University/Shodhganga. p. v. hdl:10603/66697.
  9. ^ "Majoritarianism in Manipur". Himal Southasian. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  10. ^ Noni, Arambam (16 October 2015). Noni, Arambam; Sanatomba, Kangujam (eds.). Colonialism and Resistance. p. 68. doi:10.4324/9781315638317. ISBN 978-1-317-27066-9.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Priyabrata Singh, M. K. (1948). Administration Report Of The Manipur State For The Year 1946–47. pp. 2–5.

Further reading[]

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