Militant Group CorCom Calls Manipur Shutdown for October 15

Imphal: The Coordination Committee (CorCom) declared a 12-hour statewide shutdown across Manipur for October 15. The group, an umbrella organization of proscribed underground factions, plans to halt activity from 6 am to 6 pm. They label the date National Black Day. Emergency services, medical teams, media, funerals, and religious events are exempt from the order.

CorCom’s media coordinator, M. Shak-Hen, signed the public statement. The group claims the merger with India violated international law. They allege Maharaja Bodhchandra signed the 1949 agreement at Redlands in Shillong while held under house arrest and at gunpoint. The committee stated, "The agreement as an outcome of coercion rather than a voluntary political decision."

Tensions remain high. On October 8 and 9, 2025, demolition crews tore down the remaining structures at the historic Redlands site. CorCom officials believe this was a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence regarding the merger. They point to the Manipur State Constitution Act of 1947 and the 1948 National Assembly as proof of prior sovereignty.

The group cited a September 18, 1949, telegram from Shri Prakash to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as evidence that the Maharaja and his advisers were prevented from returning home before signing. They rely on the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties to challenge the deal. CorCom maintains that the 1947 Standstill Agreement and Instrument of Accession did not surrender full control over the hills and valley. They insist the state’s political status remains an unresolved matter of self-determination.