President of the proscribed Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) Irengbam Chaoren on Wednesday stated that it is time for all the people to shed communal politics and join the common movement for independence, in his message to the people on 42nd Foundation Day of RPF.
In his message, Chaoren paid his obeisance to all the martyrs who had laid down their invaluable lives for the cause of the revolutionary movement. “I would also like to convey heartfelt respect to all the compatriots and share the grief and misery brought about the COVID-19 pandemic,” it stated. It also conveyed sincere gratitude to all sections of people who have been fighting relentlessly against the deadly pandemic to save fellow human beings.
Other than complete independence, the organisation does not see any movement which seeks autonomy or special rights within the constitution of India as capable of determining the future of Manipur, it stated. There is no choice for any community settled in Manipur other than the common movement for independence, it added.
His message stated that any arrangement within the constitution of India, special or otherwise, will never be able to take Manipur on the path of development comparable to international standards. On the contrary, any such arrangement within the constitution of India will only become a cause of assimilation with India and obliteration of the glorious history of independence which spanned over 2,000 years, it added.
At the same time, such arrangements would create situations of conflict with the ongoing liberation movement and it may lead to all sorts of confusion among the masses. In order to avert any situation of confusion and conflicts, the history of Manipur must be understood and the ongoing liberation movement needs to be respected, it added.
Although many communities who speak different languages inhabit Switzerland, they have been not only living together in peace and harmony for centuries but also set a fine example of being an ideal pluralistic society, Chaoren stated. On the contrary, the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina who only think for their own communities are being supported by the opposing forces of Serbia and Croatia. The endeavours of the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina to make the country their exclusive domain by excluding the others led to a communal war which has claimed thousands of lives in addition to displacing around 20 lakh people, it added.
Protecting the integrity of Manipur is indispensable to the liberation movement which implies that no revolutionary group can afford laxity when it comes to the integrity of Manipur. Comrade Irabot’s steadfast objection to the initiative to create Purvanchal Pradesh (North East Frontier Province) by encompassing some parts of Manipur and his understanding of the particular initiative as a threat to the integrity of Manipur was well placed, it stated. After 1963 there was a proposal to create a Himalayan Federation comprising of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, NEFA (North East Frontier Agency) and Naga Hills but the proposal was rejected by the peoples of Bhutan and Sikkim and argued that their demography would be severely affected by immigrant Nepalese, it added.
Revolutionary leaders of Manipur, in their search for a common platform or idea of ‘Western South East Asia (WESEA)’, must see that no situation emerges which challenges the collectiveness of Manipuri society for it is this collectiveness which serves as the very spirit of the history of independent Manipur, Chaoren stated.
Even if the people of India believe in the anti-China propaganda and develop anti-China feelings and sentiments, people of 'WESEA', particularly Manipuri people must ponder over which of the two conflicting powers will be helpful to the liberation movement of Manipur, the release stated. India is a growing power and it is being speculated that it may become the third biggest economy after some years, it stated. Considering this possibility, some revolutionaries think that the growth of India as a major power would have serious impacts on the liberation movement, it added.
Many social activists and intellectuals who believe in Manipur’s right to independence too seem to be turning their eyes away from the liberation movement, considering the growing strength of India. In spite of all these setbacks, the liberation movement of RPF will never stray from the right direction, it stated. “We have a different war strategy of our own and we firmly believe our people and our strategy will take the liberation movement to the path of victory,” it added.
It is a common character of all colonial rulers to polarise the colonised people and create diverse aspirations and promote contradictory ideologies so that the colonised people are always kept divided, it stated. “We are witnessing the same situation in Manipur today. The protracted peace talks for Nagas and its impacts on the society, the truce called Suspension of Operation (SoO) which fosters ethno-centric insurgencies and the toxic promise for territorial council are some of the formidable impediments imposed by India on the path of determining the future of Manipur,” it added. These impediments have been creating divisions and fractures among the communities of Manipur thereby negating all efforts to bring any form of unity or cohesion, it added.
It stated that RPF has its doors always opened to all the communities and ethnic groups of Manipur to join the liberation movement. Many people belonging to different ethnic groups are currently serving as freedom fighters under the banner of RPF and its army wing PLA, and many belonging to diverse communities have laid down their lives as the PLA in the course of the liberation movement, it further stated. Revolutionary groups and community leaders who believe in a united, plural Manipur have been working together, it added.
“I earnestly call upon all communities to join hands as brothers in order to neutralize the multipronged strategy of India, which has been posing serious hindrance to all our endeavours towards unification with an intention to keep us under their complete control, and wage the war of liberation as one,” it added.
