Shree Atal Behari Vajpayee
The Honorable Prime Minister of India
Government of India
New Delhi, India

Dear Shree Vajpayee,

WThe recent events in Manipur and the rest of North-eastern India following the extension of cease-fire agreement by the Government of India have been a cause of serious concern to the people around the world who believe strongly in the democratic principles. This action, affecting the people of Manipur and neighboring states, was taken without the concurrence of the people or their democratically elected representatives, thus directly encroaches on their democratic rights.

The widespread protests in the region, particularly in Manipur, are clear testimonies of the strong sentiments of the people. The extension of cease-fire has been a serious blow to the aspirations of the people of Manipur and Northeast India for peace and prosperity. The people of Manipur have a long history of strong and widespread participation in the democratic process and have set aside sectarian politics. The elected governments in Manipur have been led by Hindus, Muslims, and Christians drawn from many diverse communities in the state. The extension of cease-fire without borders will impact negatively the strong fraternal spirit among the different communities who share many common traditions and values and aspire for peace and progress.

Historically people of different ethnicity have lived side-by-side in mutual interdependence and friendship in Manipur, a true microcosm of the Northeast. The true aspiration of the people of Northeast is progress and this can not be fulfilled with any division based on ethnic origin or other similar sectarian considerations. Since the merger of Manipur into the Indian Union in 1949 the people of Manipur have suffered in many ways, and the loss of Kabo Valley to Burma in 1952 is still fresh in the minds of the people. We consider it essential to convince the people of Manipur and neighboring regions that your government will maintain the territorial integrity of the existing entities and focus on their deeper democratic aspirations.

We are deeply disturbed by the tragic events in Manipur leading to the loss of innocent lives. Further, we strongly believe that immediate action should be taken to restore the trust of the people of Manipur and all the neighboring states to convince them of the commitment of your government to peace and harmony based on democratic principles. We consider the first step in this direction to be the withdrawal of the extension of cease-fire without boundaries and we urge you in the strongest possible terms to take such immediate steps to restore peace and normalcy in the region.