IMPHAL, November 25: The central committee of the proscribed United National Liberation Front of Manipur has greeted the people of Manipur on its 50th anniversary.
According to a statement, the central committee has also paid revolutionary tributes to its founder members namely: Kalanlung Kamei, Thonhkhopao Singsit, Arambam Somarendra, Nongmaithem Pahari, Longjam Manimohon, NK Sanajaoba and Laishram Kanhai, who founded the group on November 24, 1964.
Highlighting the reason for insurrecting UNLF, the statement pointed out that every nation has right to exist without any domination by a superior force, and live with full sovereignty. It recalled that the civilisation of Manipur is around 3500 years old, with 2000 years of documented history.
It continued that the people of this land belong to the Mongoloid racial stock, wherein the people of different communities have been living together as brothers, though small in number. The Meitei of the plain is a conglomerate of different clans, a process which took place around 500 years ago. Communities like Tangkhul, Mao, Maram, Kabui, Thadou, Maring and Anal etc of the hills have organised themselves into specific groups some 300 years ago, who then had settled without the nomenclatures.
Further it said with the coming of the colonialism also followed the western political ideas and religion, which divided the people among the hill and valley. The divide between the people of the land was to serve the colonial interest of the British, which in turn is still followed by India till today.
The statement maintained that Manipur not only lost its sovereignty after its forced annexation by the Indian Dominion on October 15, 1949, but also resulted in the trampling of a young democracy of an independent Manipur which was formed by the Praja Santi Alliance for a National Assembly.
Therefore, it continued that it is natural for the people of Manipur to launch struggle to regain the lost sovereignty. The right to self-determination of the indigenous is clearly laid down in the United Nation`™s Charters, and people of the world are witness to the decolonisation processes which have taken place in Asia and Africa in the past. In this backdrop, UNLF`™s struggle is to regain the lost sovereignty, so that a rightful place for Manipur among the independent nations of the world is achieved.
Reiterating its goal, the statement said UNLF strives towards building a socially cohesive society, where the rights and privileges of different communities are respected and safeguarded; where there is equal sharing of opportunities, and overall a democratic nation based on autonomy at all levels.
The statement also emphasised that the sovereignty struggle is prerequisite not only for Manipur, but also for other nations which are under the Western South East Asia, WESEA, which have been subjugated for a long time by the Indian colonialism.
The statement of the Central Committee continued that under India`™s neo-colonialism, Parliamentary democracy is a tool to subjugate the people of Manipur. It said the political machinery of the Indian State instead of overtly subjugating the people, has been `manufacturing`™ its henchmen by giving them contractual works and supply benefits through large schemes, which in turn deprive the rights of the common masses.
It said Indian colonialism and its capitalist path of development has been corrupting the minds of Manipuri people by instilling a false sense of dependency. The lives of the toiling people are in miserable state, which consist 80 percent of the total population. On the other hand, India and its captive market economy has been trying to extract mineral resources from different parts of Manipur, without the consent of the people for its colonial benefits.
Through colonial designs, the Indian State has been carrying out war of cultural assimilation, the statement continued. The 24X7 satellite TV channels is a powerful tool for Indianisation process.
It said above all, what is most alarming is the population invasion from the Indian mainland, which if left unchecked the identity of the indigenous peoples will be at stake. This predicament is collectively faced by both rich and poor, cutting across religion and ethnic boundaries of different ethnic communities, it added.
Further, it said that the much hyped Look East Policy is an instrument to further India`™s colonial interest, besides expanding its market in the South East Asia region through the Trans Asian Highways and Mega Railway projects etc.
The statement also questioned what benefits the indigenous peoples are going to achieve from the airport expansion, sports university and ring road projects which would displace the peoples from their ancestral lands all in the name of developing infrastructures.
Recalling the anti-colonial struggle against the British, it continued that while the people of this land cannot realise the goal of building a new Manipur, though episodic armed struggle were waged against the colonial regime and its atrocities. The 20th century has seen the heat of 2nd World War reaching Manipur, which was also accompanied by the wave of socialist ideology as well as the ideas of liberal democracy.
After that India`™s forceful colonisation could not be properly dealt with, although there was discontentment among a large section of the population, it added.
The primary task of the UNLF is to wage war against the Indian State to regain the lost sovereignty and build a new Manipuri nation for the welfare of the masses; however, it is also the belief of the UNLF that it is necessary to collectively understand the dynamics of the anti-colonial struggle by the people.
On the other hand, the Indian State and its puppet government of Manipur have been trying to project the liberation struggle of the UNLF as criminal activities. They have time and again appealed for surrendering arms and offer for peace-talk has been made many times from their side. But UNLF has denied their calls for talk, and instead had urged for a plebiscite to bring the conflict between India and Manipur to a logical conclusion. However, both the governments have been turning a blind eye to it, the statement said.
Further the statement said that UNLF has been struggling to build a composite identity of Manipur for a larger common good, whereas the Indian State has been trying to divide the people to serve its vested interest.
The statement expressed concern over the rising atrocities committed against women in recent times. It said this heinous crime is an outcome of continues propagation of cyber pornography films through new technology such as mobile phone and internet by the colonial Indian State. In spite of the rising crimes, the puppet government of Manipur has been watching it as a mere spectator.
Against this backdrop, the UNLF will not spare those who commit heinous crimes against women. Those found guilty of such crimes will be befitting punishment, it added.
The central committee statement also paid revolutionary salute to `Nura Temsingnabi`™ Irom Chanu Sharmila for her struggle against the AFSPA. It also paid revolutionary tribute to those cadres who have laid down their lives for cause of the liberation movement, and reiterated its stand to carry forward the struggle until the goal of freedom is achieved, the statement added.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/11/every-nation-has-right-to-live-free-from-domination-says-unlf-on-50th-anniversary/
