Factional clashes
- The game of power & money -

By L Olivia Ngaineihlian *

In the past two months or so inter-factional clashes amongst various UG groups in Manipur have been on the rise.

Both the ground rules of GOI - NSCN (IM) and the Suspension of Operations (SOO) have been blatantly disregarded and the UG militants have violated them day in and day out. The historic rivalry between the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN(K) is a well known fact.

It is also a well known fact that it is the separatist and 'anti-national' ideology of these two prominent UG groups that has spearheaded the policy of balkanization and ethnic cleansing in all areas they proclaimed as 'Nagalim'.

In Manipur there are various allegations by rival UG groups entering the others imaginary area of control/influence and individuals extorting money in the name of a particular UG group. Punitive action is swift and well publicized to prove to the people the high morals and principles of that UG groups.

Who work as civil police without accountability and moral responsibilities as done in small scales by rival UG groups too. The recent killing of 10 KLA cadres by the NSCN(IM) and the assassination of an NSCN(IM) Chaplain and his wife along with three cadres by the NSCN(K) is still fresh in our minds.

During the 1993-94 Kuki-Naga conflicts, dozens of churches were burnt down and innocent elder, women and children were slaughtered by the NSCN(IM) and the Nagalim guards in the hill areas of Manipur which they called "Greater Nagalim". The much hyped moral Christian values have been thrown regularly into dustbins.

The NSCN(IM) was quick to justify their reason for killing the 10 KLA cadres while stating that the 'K' group lacked even the basic human and Christian values at the same breath on the cold blooded killing of an extremist holy man and his wife, a mother of four.

The European - based Naga International Community irresponsibly added fuel to the killing of NSCN(IM) Chaplain and his wife by saying that the lady was raped! They also diplomatically justified the killings of 10 KLA cadres by IM cadres which they called 'Well trained NSCN(IM) soldiers'.

They further played into the emotions of the people by stating the turmoil caused to the families of the IM cadres killed in Nagaland.

Here one would like to ask them, were not the 10 KLA cadres killed by them also the sons of some mothers? Have they also not left behind bereaved families, widowed wives and orphaned children. The KLA countered the claims made by the NSCN(IM) in clear terms and reminded the general public that over 800 innocent Kuki men, women and children were hacked to death.

Till date the bereaved parents of the two innocent children of Senapati District are crying for justice while the NSCN(IM) has disregarded all attempts fervently made by the civil society to hand over the culprits. The highly irresponsible roles taken by the NSCN(IM) in the Elizabeth kidnap-murder case to hide their alleged connection was simply unbelievable.

This is not intentionally singling out only the NSCN(IM), the fact that what you sow so shall you must reap is applicable to all UG groups. Every time there is an inter-faction clash in which cadres are killed or a killing in the garb of moral policing, the culprit UG group has to answer to its conscience, whatever may be its religious or ideological inclinations.

Any individual killed leaves behind a bereaved family. How can any UG group be moralistic about the so blatant disregard of the rule of law and basic human values is something one fails to understand.

Thousands of civilians, police and armed forces personnel have been killed in one way or the other by the UG militant groups without any moral reaction from the general public in the past 27 years. They all too have family members and relatives. If we are to become a civilized society we need to become more circumspect.

The industrious and innovative citizens of Manipur and the other insurgency ridden areas of the North East have been long deprived of every form of development. All monetary funds have been diverted to personal bank account numbers under assumed names and the 25% payoff to the UG Groups can never help the general welfare and public interests of the Manipuri citizens.

All UG groups have openly hampered all kinds of development works for the want of huge revolutionary funds. The nexus between the UG groups and Govt officials and their approved list of contractors, bogus NGOS etc, have become the main causes of misappro-priations of Centre, State and District level financed development projects.

It is also common knowledge that house and ration tax from the general public are collected by the UG groups. Political patronage of UG groups having influence on certain matter or decision is now proven.

They cannot survive without each other and vice versa. Ministers are touring all around the State with first class contractors authorized by certain UG groups to find unfinished works or projects, and some political leaders even reportedly took over-ground militants on their Tours of Duty to find a way to sanction crores of rupees for big projects.

No wonder one Maj Thakkar of the 7th Assam Rifles deliberately stopped the convoy of a senior Cabinet Minister while returning from a 'tour' few month back. What if any unknown youth(s) as alleged sat inside the Minister's car?

The most applaudable combing operations and raids in Babupara's VVIP & MLA/Ministers' residences by the DGP-led police commandos clearly justify the action of the 7th Assam Rifles officer, dubbed as "arrogant Major" by the media.

The open involvement of the UNC on the behest of the NSCN(IM)- in the 6th-General Assembly Elections of Manipur in giving a diktat to the people is a point to note down. This proves that the extremist outfit does not believe in Democratic Rights and did not trust the judgement of the people to elect the representatives of their choice, yet did not want to boycott the elections for evident reasons, i.e, power and money.

While the various UG groups continue lining their pockets, who are the actual victims? The common man, of course.

As long as we, the people, support this sticky web of corruption which has seeped into every aspect of our lives, we will continue depriving ourselves and our future generations of the progress and development which all people of this state so richly deserve.

But then who are we, the innocent citizens, to boldly question the ideology supported by the barrels of guns?