We have come across the nation, and ultimately to the national capital territory, New Delhi to dramatized a shameful portray of the military power,
which is still ruling the state by traumatizing the civil society beneath the inhuman bullets of Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958. The representatives of the
Apunba Lup, an umbrella body of 32 organizations represented to bring an ultimate solution of the disputed AFSPA 1958 as an ultimate decry to the leaders who are almost
in a state of oppression and segregation, so in a sense they have come to the nation's capital to cash a check.
When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the constitution and the declaration of independence, they were signing the promissory notes
to which every Indian was to fall heir. These notes have promised that all men, yes, of south, west, north and east, would be guaranteed to the inalienable rights
of life liberty and the pursuit of human dignity. It is clear that India has defaulted in these promissory notes in so far as her north eastern peoples are concerned.
Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, India has given its neglected peoples a bad check, a check that has come back marked "insufficient funds". But we refuse
to agree that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to agree that there are insufficient funds in the great arch of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to
cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand riches of freedom and security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind India of the fierce urgency of now.
We can't seldom exaggerate but in reality the tears roll down on the platform from Ima Yumnam Leirik Leima, who is also one among representatives of the Apunba Lup,
in New Delhi here on 3rd of November 2004, brings condoled of the humiliated and oppressed people of the state in her face of agony, hundred of senior citizens and
eminent personalities, including Kuldeep Nayyer, Ex M.P. and noted journalist were never distrusted the face of Ima Leirik Leima. And it's not the end on the 3rd of
November at Gandhi Peace Foundation, Deendayal Upadhayay Marg, near ITO, New Delhi, Ima Longjam Ongbi Memchoubi, President of the Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibee
Apunba Manipur has also paid the rich of our language by giving her speech in her mother tongue and then translated by the former President of Manipur Students'
Association Delhi, Nonee.
In the wee hours of the seminar we have hardly seen Manipuri peoples, but we can't deny that the voices of the eminent personalities who are already involved in
supporting the ongoing peoples' demand of removing the AFSPA 1958 from Manipur. And interestingly, the clever soft voices of Prof. Arambam Lokendra has ever and
ever again brings the addressees more accurate column of the oppression by Military forces in the state for more than twenty years in the state.
His thirty five minutes' rhythmic articulation irresistibly attracts the addresses in the Gandhi Peace Foundation hall. We never lose by exposing such leaders in the
highly equipped nation's political dais, though we are economically, politically and militarily segregated.
"A Dialogue on Manipur", has been enhanced by the slogans and banner of the anti-imperialism and colonialism. The banners like "women violence, shame-shame",
"we are with Manipur people for justice and non violence", "civilization; women's care" and the "Armed Forces Special Power Act-down down" welcomed the personalities on
the day of seminar, the 3rd November, 2004. The dialogue on Manipur was bring to a close after a long two and half hours discussion, begins by 2 o'clock of evening.
All the delegates/representatives coming from different field strongly condemn the brutality of the police and paramilitary with the guns of black laws, in a nation
which is being proudly claiming as the largest democratic nation of the world. The exclusive seminar was also welcome by the song, sung by the group of Yuva Bharat,
Delhi which is also a body of the collaborated seminar (the other three bodies are Manipur Students' Assn. Delhi, Gandhi peace Foundation and Vidyarthy Yuvajana Sabha, Delhi) the body of the song asserted the ongoing struggle, as the song impressed as "we won't be silent, we want out rights, we wants answer for our question of justice and freedom ____ we found bullets instead of breads in the salver".
In the meantime, there was also an appeal to the media to stop seasonal reporting of the movement against the Act only when the struggle becomes sensitive
like the conventional media culture. The organizations also pleaded to the media to transform the silence voices of oppression and injustice in to the path of
democracy and peace.
We are better reminded; this is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drugs of gradualism. Now is the time to make real - the
promise of democracy. Now it is time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlight path of the justice.
Now it is time to lift our nation from the quick sands of injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now it is the time to make justice a reality to all the children of God."
* loyA maisnaM , Correspondent, New Delhi of the Naharolgi Thoudang, contributes regularly e-pao.net.
The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was written on 4th November 2004
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