MNS:- The United People’ Fortim(UPF) today said the Suspension of Operation (SoO) is a tripartite agreement signed by the Union Government, State Government and Organisation concern on certain agreed parameters which includes, among others, to respect the Constitution of India and territorial integrity of the State. All the SoO signatories are equally responsible for maintaining the spirit of SoO agreement. It also means thai any demand is negotiable within ilie agreed parameters of SoO.
At no point of time did the UPF side step beyond the agreed SoO parameters, be it in submission of the Charier of Demands or in demanding the Autonomous Hill State (AHS) status under Art. 244A of the Indian Constitution. The AHS status neither impinges the territorial integrity of the State nor is it outside the Constitution of India. It is a pragmatic demand for equal development of both the hills and valleys wilhoul necessarily balkanising the State of Manipur. Once the demand is fulfilled, Manipur Stale will not only double its growth but fasten the pace of development hundred times or more and become a developed State within a decade. (iii)In a multi-ethnic state like Manipur the UPF envisioned inclusive solution to the problems confronting the State it was added. Any exclusive demands or communal approaches to the issues are found unhealthy, dangerous and unrealistic under present circumstances.
The moot point is, as to whether the Government and the people of Manipur truly dream of a durable solution for ushering a durable peace and sustainable development through peaceful process.
UPF urged all sections of the society to exercise their collective wisdom and support the on-going peace process until an honourable solution is reached. Such pragmatic demand deserves serious consideration by all reasonable persons in the State- for carrying forward the spirit of peaceful coexistence. It should never be misconstrued as violation of SoO tenets and hijacked by chauvinistic few who fail to see beyond their selfish calculations.
It never recognises the existence of Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), Manipur; neither it accepted its ideology nor the violence forms of protestations being pursued in recent limes. Any demand which directly threatens the territorial integrity of Manipur and makes open challenges to the establishment is outside the purview of SoO agreement and therefore, ihe UPF cannot be a party to the policy and approaches adopted by the so called KSDC, Manipur,
In the absence of any tangible communal boundary, balkanisation of Manipur State on communal lines is bound to cieate more problems in future, Neither the Maharaja of Manipur nor the Ciuvernment of India is responsible for drawing the present boundary of the State nor was the indigenous people’s consent taken by colonial Administrator while making the present Manipur boundary. We have inherited such colonial blunder and are forced to adjust ourselves with whau-vcr ills they had left. Yet, one should accept the fact that ‘change is universal and changing for the betterment of our future is a must.’ However the process of change does not necessarily be violent when the people exercise restraint and seek solution through collaborative efforts. K is in the backdrop of this that most of the tribal armed groups had come forward tor peaceful solution. It would be unfortunate if some people who do not understand the language of peaceful-negotiated-settlernent are permitted to sabotage the peace process.
The UPF envisioned a non-comrnunal approach to the socio-political problems of Manipur and seek durable solution within the- parameters of SoO agreement which may be arrived at through substantive dialogue it was added.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/upf-does-not-recognise-ksdc/
