ILPS automatically comes under people's democracy

March 18, 2015:

TARGET THE LOCAL TYRANTS
SMASH THE SUBJECTIVE STRUCTURE
ILPS AUTOMATICALLY COMES UNDER PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY.

Some Naga organisations have been shouting time and again that the Government of Manipur have been communal. The idea is that the Government of Manipur have been indulging in enforcing polices that have been allegedly against the interest of the Nagas. The tactical alliance of the Kuki and Naga organisations have formulated the theory of dichotomy between the tribes and non-tribes. This alliance have been charging the government of Manipur as communal in the sense that it had been promoting the interest of the Meeteis (non-tribe) at the cost of the tribes. All these formulations have suffered from the inability to draw a holistic picture of the communal nature of the neo-liberal regime.

Most Meeteis are unhappy with all these propositions; probably because these propositions have identified the Meeteis with the Government of Manipur. At the same time Meeteis have hardly formulated a theory that exposed the communal nature of the neo-liberal regime.

Most Meeteis have failed to realise that since the British colonial period onwards there have been continuation of regimes in power that have been communal. The current regime is communal as: (a) it adopt divisive line to promote communal sectarianism among the people; to divide and rule, and (b) it promote unrestrained influx of outsiders at the cost of the indigenous communities. The neo-liberal regime always use communal card or show some kind of communal treatment in order to cover up their loot, i. e., communalism as a means of distraction of public attention from the real forms of exploitation and loot.

Unfortunately, there has been no progressive movement that could expose the class objectives of the exploiters that use the mask of communalism. Most people are being kept ignorant of the fact that in the past there were reactions to community subjections in various forms. There were series of resistance such as the agitation of 1904, anti-water tax agitations in 1910s, Bazaar boycott in 1920, the agitation of 1939 and post Second World War demands against the then Indian commercial bourgeoisie. Equally the Kukis have revolted in 1917-19 and the Zelianrongs have reacted in 1930s. The Mao and Hmar communities had fought anti-tax agitations in 1948.

There are many more examples of such uncoordinated and sporadic assertions. All these have not been integrated into the conceptual framework to theorise and illustrate the nature of the agitations, which were actually targeting the oppressive regimes, but expressed in certain community forms. Many amongst the Meeteis awaits proper consciousness to become aware of the fact that the neo-colonial regime have been adapting to and perpetuating communal forms of oppression, while it actually operates across communities.

However, the recent Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers’ Bill, has proven that the Government of Manipur have been communally oppressive. The Government of Manipur have been exposing all the ‘indigenous’ communities living in Manipur to the demographic invasion by the outsiders. The Kukis, Meeteis, and Nagas are the victims of this demographic invasion.

This demographic invasion have been the fall out of the neo-colonial relation of production; which have been an integral process of the global neo-liberal system. The Manipur elites, irrespective of their community affiliation, have become united in serving their common interest; by becoming the puppet of the external big bourgeoisie. They have become anti-national to the extent that they are eager to wipe out the unique identities of the nationalities in and around Manipur, in order to give way to global capital expansionism. They have become communal to the extent of promoting unrestrained demographic invasions at the cost of the numerically weak indigenous communities in Manipur.

The demographic invaders are predominantly composed of the following loose categories: (1) Company bourgeoisie who would expand company establishments and took control of the water, land, forest and labour resources. (2) Commercial bourgeoisie (traders) who capture the market and establish monopoly control over it. Because of their wealth and political connection with the Manipur elites, they are able to purchase wealth at will and became big landowners, (3) The blackheads (labour class) who accompanied the two above, and gradually control the labour market, (4) The professionals in the construction works, and other service sectors such as the bureaucracy, white coloured jobs and the military and para-military forces, and (5) Hordes of other immigrants who have permanently settled in colonies.

Should the oppressed sections among the indigenous communities remain blind to the fact that the demographic invasion by outsiders have been largely promoted by the local regimes? Should they remain submissive while their land and resources have been taken over by the outsiders? Are they born to permanently serve the local tyrants who uses community mask to deceive the people, but indulge in looting their own people?

If the Government of Manipur cannot serve the democratic aspirations of the ‘electors,’ what is it for? Is there a point in targeting only the outsiders, when the local reactions have promoted it? The internal enemy amongst us is either equally or more dangerous than the external invaders. Should we allow perpetual subjections to the local reactions; only to pave the way to the exploitation under the neo-liberal system?

What is wrong when the oppressed peoples wanted some minimum protection (such as ILPS) in order to ensure their economic growth, political rights, cultural development and social stability? Why will the local reactions use muscle power to suppress people's democratic movement and deceive them as well with false promises? What do they gain by inciting social tensions? Who finance them, their police, and the army?

If the Government of India stands as an obstruction to the democratic interest of the peoples; is there any good reason that we remain with India? Why can't the local regime fight against the Government of India on this crucial issue? Target the local tyrants, smash the subjective structure; ILPS automatically comes under people’s democracy.

Campaign for Peace & Democracy Manipur
March 18, 2015