Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 25:
Lok Sabha MP and general secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Gurudas Das Gupta has stated that the problems being faced by the farmers in Manipur would remain even if Manipur secedes from India as an independent State.
Gurudas was speaking as special guest at the 12th State conference of AITUC, Manipur at Kangla Hall, Imphal today.
He said independence is a slogan of the imperialist and the difficulties of the common people and the farmers would only worsen.
The CPI leader further said that despite the richness of its culture and history, the territorial boundary of Manipur is too small that it would not be good to secede from India.
Elaborating his point, Gurudas observed an independent small State like Manipur would subsequently fall under the domination of bigger and developed imperialist countries like America which would interfere in the politics of the State at any given opportunity on the pretext of providing economic packages.
The main concern of the poor farmers is to work hard and earn their livelihood.
Terrorism and isolation would never be able to solve their problems, he added.
The Lok Sabha MP maintained that poverty, atrocities and cases like that of Manorama is not something which is happening only in Manipur.
It is very much prevalent in other parts of India as well, he said.
Manipur cannot fight against these problems all alone.
These problems can be eradicated once and for all when all the people of the country raise their voice as one, he said.
Gurudas further observed that those who are perpetrating violence are taking advantage of the prevailing situation to secede from India.
But AITUC is against fragmentation of India, he added.
In the present society, the Government should neglect the demands of the people, but should to find out ways and means of addressing the grievances of the people.
With the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, many Latin American countries have started raising their voice against liberalisation and globalisation, the MP noted.
Commerce and Industries Minister N Mangi, CPI Control Commission member M Ibohal and State CPI secretary B Sharma and MLA Dr M Nara Singh were also present at the conference as presidium members.
The conference attended by around 350 delegates coming from different parts of the State also set up a 80-member State Committee and a 21-member Executive Committee.