The proscribed People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) on Friday stated that on the arrival of its 44th Foundation Day, the organisation offers revolutionary salute to the revolutionaries who had laid down their lives during the struggle for restoring sovereignty and independence of Kangleipak (Manipur).
PREPAK also conveys revolutionary greetings to all fellow natives who have been living together with love and harmony under the colonial yoke, leaders of revolutionary organisations, comrades, fellow revolutionary organisations and all oppressed and exploited people of the world by the colonial forces, PREPAK stated in a release issued by its chairman, Interim Council Aheiba Angom.
All media persons who have tirelessly worked day and night to cover major issues of the region and taken key roles in disseminating news and views to the people are also being conveyed revolutionary greetings on the occasion, it stated.
It stated that the strongest weapon that makes it appear to be freedom by fooling the people of this land is the election. The festival of money and intoxicant substances keeps the people of this land in stupor for every five years, it mentioned. In order to achieve power, though for a short time, rich people pretending to be leaders take Manipur in such a way that no rebuilding can be done whatsoever later on. Drug abuse can be cured by treatment but there is no cure for those who have been baptized in electoral politics just to get borrowed power, it added.
It stated that one of the top priorities to be addressed by the people is to strengthen the hill-valley relation that seems to have worsened even more than the erstwhile British period. Nevertheless, the election has caused the hill-valley tie to get worse. Trying to get votes of the valley by criticizing the hill movement leaders while the so-called leaders of the hills lambasting the valley to win the election is something that we have been witnessing for a long time, it stated. As a result, such a situation is being created wherein the growing youths of both valley and hills face trust deficit between one another and fold up sleeves to fight. This is a big outcome caused by the Indian election, it added.
All matters of freedom, coexistence, ideas of a united struggle and sacrifice have been thrown away and issues of candidates, election, money, narcotics, etc. have become the most important talks of the exploited people, it stated. There is no answer when asked what significant achievement had been made in the state since 1949. Power, water, roads and bridges, government appointments, monthly salaries, etc. are not significant achievements. These are essential matters administration must provide for, it added.
It stated that land is equally essential in building a Nation and taking up developmental works. All cultivable land of Manipur lies in the hands of the Ministers, MLAs, top officials of government, illegal traders and smugglers, it alleged. “Most farmers do not have their own land to cultivate; they depend on others’ land for agriculture. Real owners have constructed infrastructure in the fertile fields in the name of development in such a manner that no production can be made ever again from the fields. Despite legislation having been passed, such constructions cannot be stopped. Most of the paddy field owners are the ones who can influence the law makers and the legislation,” it added. There is not enough power to use the hill land. The Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 and Article 371C of Constitution of India stand as a big fence between the hills and the valley. This creates a hurdle in building unity and strength between the hills and the valley. Hills think differently and the valley thinks differently. Thus factional mindset comes to the fore and disables inclusive growth and building united efforts to face any challenge, it added.
Looking at the history of the economy of this land, since the early days till the period of independence, the agricultural products of Manipur used to be not only sufficient for its people but also used to be exported to neighbouring countries. But since the Loktak Project was commissioned in 1983, the Ithai Barrage water had submerged 83,450 hectares of paddy fields compelling the people of Manipur to depend on others for food, it stated. This has not only severely affected the economy but also given adverse impacts on the social and political conditions leaving unity and integrity of the state in a chaos, it added.
It stated that the Loktak Project is nothing but only a loss for Manipur. The revenue collected from the sale of electricity generated by the Project before 2014 was just Rs 21 crore annually whereas the amount of income that could be collected from the agricultural produce of the vast land that had been submerged by the Project is nearly Rs 100 crore, it mentioned. “Now it is very clear that the one and only objective of Hindustan to set up the Loktak Project was to destroy the self- sustaining economy of Kangleipak and turn it into a captive market for good,” it added.
“To the farmers, exchanging their fields with electricity is not justifiable. That step has ruined the economy of the farmers and the environment. The only purpose of the Project was to pluck off the stomach of the people and turn them into beggars while strengthening colonial rule. Unable to bear any longer the pains in terms of economy and environment caused by the artificial inundation resulting from the Ithai Barrage, the people of the affected areas have been demanding for a long time in a democratic manner to decommission the Project. But Hindustan has been suppressing the people’s legitimate demand. Unless and until the people take the issue ahead at the earliest, people’s economic and ethnic identity will be lost,” it further stated.
It stated that the arrival of the train and development of the highways is not at all for the benefit of the people. It is just to create a facility for draining out the products available underground, over ground and forests in the State to India, it stated. All the development works being taken up are meant for their own benefits, it added.
As there is no guarantee that the ongoing struggle for liberation is going to end today or tomorrow, it has become essential to take up various activities to save the society, which is almost on the brink of hopelessness, to bring about changes while engaging in the struggle for liberation side by side.
PREPAK expresses heartfelt sorrow over the death of Kangleichas, especially those who worked in the forefront—Covid warriors, particularly doctors, nurses, health workers and front-liners due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed the entire world. In fact, the deaths due to COVID-19 resulted from lack of health care facilities and failure to take timely steps to save the people from the pandemic. The government should be responsible for all these, it added.
Lastly, revolutionary salute to every single comrades who would be taking part in the struggle for liberation to shape the destiny of motherland but are languishing as prisoners and those leaders who took major role in the long struggle and paved way for the revolution to further carry on but have retired due to unavoidable health ground or age factor, it added.
