Imphal: Six proscribed underground outfits in Manipur have announced a boycott of India’s Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2025, and have called for a total shutdown across the state from 1:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
The groups, united under the Coordination Committee (CorCom), have urged the public in the northeastern states to refrain from attending the celebrations and instead observe the day as a “black day” by hoisting black flags.
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The CorCom consists of six banned groups: Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), its Progressive faction (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF).
A statement from the CorCom’s Publicity Committee attributed the unrest and violence in Manipur to India’s alleged regressive policies, claiming these issues stem from the government’s actions in the region.
While the total shutdown is in effect, the statement emphasized that emergency services, including medical care, media, water and electricity supply, fire services, and religious ceremonies, will be allowed to continue.
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Additionally, two other insurgent groups, the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA) and the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM), have also announced their support for the boycott and called for a 12-hour statewide bandh on the same day.
The insurgency in Manipur began in the 1960s, with groups such as the UNLF, PLA, PREPAK, KCP, and KYKL advocating for the state’s secession from India and the restoration of its pre-merger status.
This movement traces its origins to the 1949 merger agreement, which many members of the Meitei community opposed, citing the lack of legislative consent.