Find a democratic solution
- CPDM (Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)) -

New Delhi, 07 May 2010

Annexure I
Ref No: 20100507 CPDM/ PR
e-mail: [email protected]

Find a democratic solution
CPDM press statement

On condolence

6 May 2010 was not the first instance in the history of the Mao people to have lost precious souls in the attempt to express their political aspiration. Comrade Irabot of Manipur, a Meetei communist, on 17 October 1948 had noted that in the revolutionary movement of the Mao people three of them had been killed in an attempt by the ruling government to arrest the then leader of Mao people Mr. Daiho. History of people is largely a history of political struggle where many had sacrificed lives while in political action. Whether it was 18 June 2001 or 6 May 2010, we have had noticed lost of lives. At the receiving ends the victimised families could never be compensated. But as a symbol of glory or defeat, the names of those who had laid down their lives for political cause live much longer in their respective communities than the actual lifespan of a human being. They will be remembered!

CPDM expresses condolence for Mr. Loshua, Mr. Chakho and Mr. Lokho who were killed in police firing at Mao Gate on 6th May 2010. The loss of a son, friend, relative and citizen can never be compensated and yet we demand the Government of India and progressive forces in Manipur to address the concern of the victimised families with whatever material relief and means available to them. The reported injury of several others in state repression under whatever pretext fully shows that situation in Manipur have become volatile on the issue of Muivah's entry in Manipur and we acknowledge that unwanted bloodshed had taken place in the process of kowtowing a particular restive section of the Manipur population. The Government of India must pay for hospital & medical charges of those who have suffered casualty and are under medical treatment either in Nagaland or Manipur hospitals. The entire medication period of an injured victim must be officially recognised as labour time and the economic concern of such victims should be addressed through monetary allowance at the rate of minimum daily wage per head. From legal perspective, we demand a free and fair judicial probe into the immediate incident that had led to the firing and book the culprits responsible for it.

On terrorism

CPDM takes serious note of the ever increasing security tight up unleashed by the state in several parts of Manipur on the pretext of defusing the ongoing tension in Manipur. Hitherto unnoticed police barricades are being installed, regular flag march and frisking are being carried out, and free movement of persons is being restricted to the much inconvenience of the ordinary citizens in Senapati and Ukhrul districts. Similar trend of security tight up is being noticed in the urban areas in Imphal and other adjoining valley districts. We express our apprehension that the trigger happy state forces and the unruly auxiliary recruits in the format of VDF would at any point of time went out of control and create terrors that could have wide ranging implication towards misrepresenting facts and spreading of communal rumours in any form. We would like to appeal them to refrain from terror activities that would lead to branding them as either communal forces in uniform or agent of India's divisive policy. While these forces are being deployed in Imphal to prevent public gathering or obstruct general strike directed against Muivah's visit to Manipur; they must not exceed in exercising brutality to the scale of creating disturbance to the market, particularly affecting the economic livelihood of tribal street vendours from the outskirts of the valley districts and widow street vendours who are the sole bread winners of their respective families as their husbands were killed either in gun battle or in fake encounters.

On economic blockade

CPDM is aware of the economic underdevelopment that the present Manipur had been undergoing through ever since the imposition of colonial laissez faire in 1891 and which have been continued till today. In the year 2005 out of the total number of 356193 households living in Manipur 115600 households were living at the Below Poverty Line. At present Manipur is dependent on import of commodity and money for survival. Apart from industrial products, other basic consumption products such as food grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, edible oil, milk and dairy products, medicines, snacks, liquor, poultry products, fish and almost all varieties of consumer goods of day-to –day usage are being dependent on import. In such a situation imposition of prolonged economic blockades along National Highways by any section of agitating population of Manipur or by neighbouring Nagaland as a form of political bargaining would be genocidal on the part of the people of Manipur. A negative response to it by imposing counter-economic blockade along inland transit routes leading to the hill districts of Manipur would be equally counterproductive. Business entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the economic blockade and everywhere in Manipur prices of daily staples goods have grown up at an exorbitant scale. The prices of rice had been doubled up, petrol had been increased above 120 Rs per litre and hospitals are postponing routine surgical operation on ground of deficient supply of oxygen and medicines. While the famine type alarming situation in the valley is being reported in the media the plight of the situation in the interior rural areas and hills must have been worst. We, therefore, appealed to the Government of India and the contending civil societies to find out the most effective democratic means to put an end to economic blockade that cuts off the economic lifeline of an entire population or any section of population on the pretext of political agitation.

On rumour

CPDM acknowledges the spread of rumours of various types that could only contribute in communal stereotyping and exasperation of the situation. Yesterday, there was a rumour about 20 labourers belonging to Meetei community being detained at Shiruii areas by the Tangkhul people of that area. We have confirmation from the Naga People's Human Rights Movement that such thing had not occurred at all. It seems that about four persons were detained by the Assam Rifles near Shirui on ground of suspicion. According NPMHR, those detained were being interrogated and released after verification. Another rumour was articulated at the press meet held at Constitution Club on 6 May 2010. One of the MLAs present there had said that all the securities from the Imphal Valley were being deployed in the Naga areas to the extent that there was no security forces left in Imphal to guard the Banks and control the public meeting planned by the United Committee Manipur. The statement of the MLA was wrong. The Banks in Imphal had been guarded by the CRPF and all those deployed in Mao areas belonged to the Manipur Police, Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserved Battalion. Contrary to the rumour, the newspaper this morning had reported that the Manipur Police had disrupted the proposed public meeting called by the UCM and at the same time security measures had been beefed up in the valley districts to prevent 48 hours general strike that was called by the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation.

Another rumour was widespread among certain section of Manipur students in Delhi. In the evening a team of Nagas were being led by the Naga Students Union Delhi to meet the Residence Commissioner of Manipur at Manipur Bhavan. The purpose of the meeting was aimed at seeking for an official explanation about the situation prevailing in Manipur. However, the event was being misrepresented as Nagas storming to destroy the Manipur Bhavan. CPDM had its own interpretation about it and had circulated clarification on the matter to that section of misunderstood students who were moved by the rumour. Firstly, the Manipur Bhavan is a site of power and symbol of state authority. Any group or community of Manipur have the right to approach it for any official matter. Secondly, we have noticed in Manipur a tradition of destroying public property such as official buildings and government institutions as a form protest. The confrontation between the state and a section of the agitating population and destruction of state symbol representing the entire population may not necessarily be perceived as communal directed against any particular community. Thirdly, the Manipur Bhavan area is deemed a restricted zone and always manned by security forces. Whenever a crowd of agitating students would gather around it there was reinforcement of Delhi Police to defend the Bhavan. The possibility of destruction of Bhavan by a small crowd is out of question. Therefore, whatever rumour that was being conveyed to us, was simply a miscalculation. We, therefore, appealed to all concerned citizens not to circulate rumour that may hurt feelings and please do not create communal rumours merely to create confusion and tension. Our future lies in unity and struggle towards a durable peace. Communal rumour can never defend community. Your rumour can cost you.

On Minority & Security

Security is the prime concern of every human being. We all want to be secured and defended. However the ongoing unrest is seemed to have caused insecurity to several sections of the population in varying ways. We are being reported that psychological fear of communal onslaught that would affect lives and properties is being dominantly perceived by those who were minorities in any part of the state. Any reactionary person or collective could spread communal propaganda and ignite communal clash by way of targeting a minority section anywhere. Whether it would be Meetei or Naga or Kuki or any other communities; each one is dominant in certain areas and minority in certain areas. The sense of inferiority and fear of communal onslaught could be perceived by the minorities where they are always vulnerable due to lack of adequate security arrangements or defense mechanism. CPDM, therefore, appealed to the union Government of India, state governments of Nagaland and Manipur and other democratic forces to ensure security of the minorities vis-à-vis potential psychological and physical threats by dominant communities in any part of the two states in course of the ongoing unrest. CPDM at the same time appealed to all that the civil societies who are engaged in the ongoing unrest to ensure security for the minority communities. We have seen barbarian onslaughts during the Kuki-Naga clash 1992-96, Meetei-Panggal Clash 1993, and Kuki-Paite clash 1997-98. Every community is a loser in it. Let us not allow it to happen again.

On Muivah's Visit

CPDM in its press release Ref No: 20100505 CPDM/ PR (internet reference here) had expressed clear stand on Th. Muivah's visit to Manipur. We are being confirmed by the civil societies in Delhi that it was the Government of India that had planned Muivah's visit to Manipur. However, the proposed visit has been differently responded by different sections of the population and had become a matter of unrest in Manipur. The brutality of repression and immediate negative impact of unrest are being felt by those who welcome or oppose Muivah's visit to Manipur. Since the unrest have reached to the extent of losing lives, infliction of casualties and artificial famine of goods, we charged upon the Government of India as fully responsible for mishandling of the situation. We strongly feel that browbeating to one another and labelling charges to one another among the contending civil societies would merely consume time and labour and these can never restore a durable peaceful existence. We, therefore, appealed to the Government of India to clearly analyse the situation, create a common platform for all and invite all the contending forces towards a meaningful dialogue for a peaceful and practical solution.

Long Live Democracy

Released and circulated by Campaign for Peace & Democracy Manipur on 7 May 2010