By: Usham Dhananjoy Singh
Shri W. Kulabidhu Singh s/o Late Tona Singh of Wangkhei Leikai was the General Secretary of the Praja Socialist Party from 1953. He was a member of the Council of Action to guide the activities of P.S.P. Satyagrahis. He was arrested u/s 151 Cr.P.C. on 31-12-64 without any warrant of arrest from the Magistrate. He filed for the writ of Habeas Corpus in the Court of Judicial Commissioner, Manipur challenging illegality of the arrest and detention. The hearing of the said writ application was posted for final hearing on 17-2-55 in the said Court. However the District Magistrate Manipur detailed him in custody in the Manipur jail for a period of three months from 29-1-1955 under Sub-section 2 Clause (a) of Section 3 of the Preventive Detention Act 1950. In the grounds of detention it was alleged that he had been advocating and practicing violence for the achievement of its objective. He was to guide the movement and the activities of the agitators who hurled brickbats, stones and other missiles on the police on 17-12-54 while they were engaged in the lawful discharge of their duties in maintaining law and order. As a result a number of members of the police force was injured on that day. The District Magistrate was satisfied that he acted and would continue to act in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public orders.
In his representation to the Government of Manipur dt. 15-2-55 he stated that the Praja Socialist Party had never been advocating and practicing violence for the achievement of its objectives. The Praja Socialist Party had resolved to use non-violent and peaceful means only on its forward march towards socialism. The party had rejected the theory of “Ends Justify the means” in its totality and had adopted the principle that ideals and objection can never be divorced from the methods adopted to realize them.
He also said that the allegation that Praja Socialist Party satyagrahis hurled brickbats, stones and other missiles on the police on 17-12-54 was a naked falsehood. If there was any such stone throwing etc it might have been by the spectators and other agent provocateur. The alleged injury to members of police force on that day if then might be any had no link with him.
He further said that soon after the independence of India in 1947 a responsible govt. based on adult franchise was established in Manipurand the same continue to function till the integration of Manipur with the centre in 1949. After the integration Manipur had become a part and parcel of the sovereign Democratic Republic of India. With the integration, the Legislative Assembly and the Cabinet were dissolved against the will of the people and in its stead a sort of one-man rule had since then been imposed in this state, with the deprivation of the Legitimate and inherent rights of the people of this state to have the Legislative Assembly and the Cabinet Govt. as were enjoyed by some Part C status where responsible Govt. had been established.
The Praja Socialist Party of Manipur, through its representation, made various representations to the Govt. of India demanding for the immediate restoration of the Legislative Assembly which Manipur had before the days of integration by dissolving the present Chief Commissioner’s rule and the Advisory council. The Govt. of India paid no heed to the legitimate demands. The communication of the Govt. of India’s decision to wait until the submission of the report of the Boundary Commission was considered meaningless. The Praja Socialist Party of Manipur having no other alternative, at last resolved to lead the people of Manipur towards launching a peaceful satyagraha movement on and from 15-11-54 to continue the same until the demand is conceded to.
The Advisory Board consisting the Hon’ble Mr. Justice H. Deka – Chairman, Shri U.N. Beabarua & Shri C. Lyngdoh- members had read and considered the order of detention the ground served and the cause shown by the detenue appeared before them and they gave him a hearing. The report dt. 18th February, 1955 reads : XXX
“We had a very free and frank talk with the detenue, he admitted that he is responsible for organizing picket parties to deter officers and employees of the state coming to their respective offices and his volunteers quietly sat on the public road to demonstrate their displeasure at the so called one man’s rule with the help of styled advisers – who according to him are not proper representatives of the people. He says that the trouble there as alleged – but his volunteerswere not responsible for the same, on the other hand it was the onlookers who threw brickbats and the police excesses aggravated the situation. We are not here to apportion blame but it remains a patent fact that the picketing was the source of the trouble and public nuisance and he ought to have realized the same. He calls it non-violent satyagarha but no matter under what name it is called – it caused considerable disturbance to the public peace and great annoyance to the administration responsible for the maintenance of public order He does not come to the forefront so that direct evidence can be led against him in court. He stands condemned on his own statement apart from other materials placed before us.
In this case we are satisfied that the order of detention is justified”.
On 2nd April 1955 Kulabidhu Singh of Wangkhei Leikai was set at liberty by revoking the order of detention of the District Magistrate Manipur dt. 29-1-55 by the Chief Commissioner, Manipur Imphal.