Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 25 2010:
Asserting that non-Manipuris have become a serious threat to the indigenous people of Manipur, the proscribed Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) has called upon the people to resolve the problem of non-Manipuris together.
A statement issued by the outfit's Publicity Secretary T Leisemba observed that influx of large number of non-Manipuris has robbed away most of the jobs which otherwise should be available to Manipuris.
The non-Manipuris have not only captured big markets but also started settling down in villages and far flung areas, posing serious threats to the future of the ethnic peoples of Manipur.
Given the gravity of the situation, it is high time the indigenous people take a firm stand and decisive steps to safeguard 'our fate and future'.
"The threat situation is serious enough to warrant the people to immediately shun the habit of showing leniency and fraternizing with them as if they are our blood brothers and sisters", the outfit remarked.
Appealing to all countrymen to talk to the non-Manipuris convincingly to leave Manipur and find a place outside Manipur where they can shape their own future, the RPF asserted that owners should talk to those non-Manipuris staying in their shops and rent houses in a proper manner so that they return to their homes willingly.
Non-locals posted here for certain period of time for education and other job related works should not be considered a real threat.
Nevertheless, the people of Manipur should be wary of them.
Because they have started assuming the role of leaders outside the purview of their works in every nook and corner of the region, using various local persons, well known in various fields as their tools.
They have been keeping a tight rein on these eminent persons on the false promise of giving better education to their children.
Such eminent persons should wake up and realize the real danger lying ahead.
Till some years' back the presence of non-Manipuris was felt only in important market places.
But today they have occupied almost all lanes
and by-lanes.
"If we fail to stop the non-Manipuri influx there will come a time when they capture our hearth as well and become the real masters in our own homes.
Non-Manipuris stepping out of city confines and coming to our localities for sale of goods and working as labourers may give us some temporary satisfaction.
But the fall out of this trend is very dangerous.
There are ample examples of non-Manipuris outraging modesty of our women and treating petty local traders with contempt as a result of fraternizing with them by the local people", the outfit cautioned.
Stating that Manipur is a land where a hurt people have been struggling and sacrificing their lives to regain the freedom allegedly wrested by India forcibly, it asserted that central security forces are fanning out their covert agents in the guise of hawkers and labourers in every nook and corner of Manipur to acquaint with the logistics, trace movements and staying places of revolutionaries.
Coupled with the age old tradition of hospitality and failure of the local people to analyse and understand the evil designs of central security forces, the indigenous people in various pockets are now living amidst heart rending cries and mourning as the central security forces took away several lives from places or homes where they had visited.
Now central security forces could move around freely under the guise of hawkers because of the presence of so many hawkers in lanes and by-lanes, the outfit asserted.
Today Manipuris are facing two serious threats.
The first threat is a kind of silent and hidden war.
The second threat is killing of many people openly by the security forces, besides invading the small state by a large number of non-Manipuris by settling down all over Manipur.
"The first hidden war is import of drugs and HIV/AIDS.
Since this is a global phenomenon we should bear with it as there are awareness campaigns and new medicines are coming up for rooting out this threat", it maintained.
"But since the second problem is related to our survival and future, our countrymen should confront the problem courageously.
This is an artificial epidemic.
Therefore, RPF appeals to our countrymen that we all should be aware of the artificial epidemic and fight as one for stamping out the chronic disease", the outfit called out.
Stating that it always respects all the people living around the world, keeping the working class at the highest level, and that in certain situations it regards and loves them as brothers and friends, the outfit maintained that it is compelled to make an appeal to non-Manipuris to leave Manipur, considering the threat posed by the present situation to the future of the indigenous people.
"This appeal is made despite our love for them.
We hope the non-Manipuris would understand our position", it confided.
"The RPF can predict boldly that the attempts by the Government and security agencies to project the RPF wrongly by giving wrong interpretations to our appeal would never bear fruit", it claimed.
Accusing the government of trying to rope in helps on this issue from relatives and families of those staying in other states by creating a fear psychosis that Manipuris living outside would be targeted if non-locals are forced out of Manipur, the RPF called upon the people to send them back from Manipur.
"Instead of adopting violent means, we all should make efforts to get back all the jobs from the non-Manipuris with dignity and self respect", it exhorted.
Everybody in Manipur should also show respect to anyone who gets back such jobs from non-locals.
Such a person should be honoured and regarded as a man who is fighting at his best level and moving forward for safeguarding the future of Manipuris.
The RPF further called upon all sections of the people including the youth, specially those who are indulging in drug abuse and intoxicants due to unemployment to start nurturing the age old tradition of work culture and hard work once again so as to make Manipur a prosperous land.