Manipur has not declared independence; the video shows a 2019 self-proclaimed government-in-exile in London
Amid ongoing tensions in Manipur, a video is circulating on social media showing two men declaring Manipur’s independence from India at a press conference. The video is being widely shared with the claim that Manipur’s leaders have officially declared independence from India amid rising tensions in the state.
Sharing the clip, Manipur Post wrote, “Manipur Officially Declares Freedom from Indian Occupation. The respected leaders of Manipur have officially announced independence, citing widespread Indian Army violations across all areas. The announcement highlights ongoing clashes between local militants and Indian forces, marking a historic moment for the Manipur freedom movement.” (Archived link)
Pakistan propaganda handle Zard si Gana claimed, “Manipur leaders have officially announced independence from Indian occupation after nonstop human rights violations by Indian Army in Manipur. Armed fighter groups in Manipur are taking control across region, forcing Indian forces to flee.” (Archived link)
The same video was also shared by many other handles such as Ireima Sen (Archived link), Taymur Malik (Archived link), National Resistance Front (Archived link), Markhor (Archived link), Zafar Shirazi (Archived link), and Waqar Satti (Archived link).
Also Read: Claims of Attack on Indian Army Base And Soldiers Death in Manipur is Fake
In our fact-check research, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and performed a reverse image search. We found an India Times report from October 2019 that had the same visuals as the viral video, suggesting the video is not recent.
According to this report, the two men seen in the video are separatist leaders Yamben Biren and Narengbam Samarjit, who held a press conference in London, UK, in 2019 and declared Manipur’s independence from India. They claimed to represent King Leishemba Sanajaoba and were launching a government-in-exile. In making this announcement, they also stated that they had been granted political asylum in the UK and were now operating legally outside Manipur.
Subsequently, King Leishemba Sanajaoba issued a statement distancing himself from the group, stating that the representatives had tricked him into signing a document. He had no knowledge of such a declaration.
This video is not related to the ongoing tension in Manipur and there is no official announcement from Manipur leaders or any known authority.
In conclusion, the claim that Manipur leaders have officially declared independence from India is fake. This footage is from 2019 and shows a self-proclaimed government-in-exile by two separatists in London.
| Claim | Manipur leaders have officially announced independence from Indian occupation after nonstop human rights violations by Indian Army in Manipur. |
| Claimed by | Zard si Gana, Manipur Post, and others. |
| Fact check | The video dates back to October 2019 when two separatist leaders Yambem Biren and Narengbam Samarjit claiming to represent Manipur’s traditional king, announced in UK that they had formed a Govy-in-exile seeking independence from India. |
Also Read: Old Cylinder Blast Visual Shared To Falsely Claim 10 Soldiers Killed in Militant Ambush in Kishtwar
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