Imphal, May 07 2009: The Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), one of the major rebel outfits of Manipur, has reaffirmed its stand on not to have a political dialogue with the Government of India except on the issue of independence and sovereignty of Manipur.

This was reiterated by the Vice President of the RPF, Manoharmayum Ngouba, during a press conference held at the Training Command Head Quarter (TCHQ) in the interior part of Ukhrul District near the Manipur-Myanmar border on the morning of May 5 .

Addressing the first officially organised press conference at the top level of the leaders, Vice President Ngouba, who is also the Chief of Army Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Army of RPF, said that the party would not say "yes or no" to any proposed political dialogue with the Government of India.

"It does not mean that the party will not at all go for a political dialogue," the Vice President said adding that no proposal for a political dialogue from the Government of India has come and no such proposal was also given from the side of RPF.

Apart from the Vice President, T Leishemba, Secretary Publicity, Pukhrambam Chaoyai, Secretary Bureau-III and Th Robin Luwang, Chief of Administration and Operations were also present at the press conference.

Explaining the reasons for organising the official press conference, the Vice President said that the 2nd Party Congress was held after a long period, from July 14 to December 4 last year.

The first party congress was held in 1990 .

The party wants 35 general policies and programmes out of the resolutions adopted at the party congress to be widely publicised to the people of Manipur, Ngouba said.

He said the second party congress had discussed and resolved to take up actions and programmes that would push the liberation movement ahead.

The party congress had also discussed intra party affairs, means to build unity and bring the revolution closer to the people and so on.

Replying to a question on how to carry out mass mobilisation to strengthen the RPF's liberation movement as given in the fourth point of the general policies and programmes, the PLA's Chief of Army Staff (CAS) said that except with united strength and stand, regaining independence and sovereignty of Manipur is not within arm's reach.

Even though all the parties agree with this view, instance of translating it into action remains far away, the leader said.

Regarding various names given to the underground insurgent organisations, the Vice President said that it is not a new development that the "enemies" call the "revolutionaries" different names.

First they did not even like to mention the word insurgent.

It seems that they will never use the word "revolution".

He said, first they said some youths were involved in the movement since they did not have clothes to wear and food to eat and were disappointed.

Then there was a time when they said that they joined the movement as they were unemployed.

As such they had tried to mislead the revolutionaries by giving them different adjectives in the past and would also do the same in future as well.

However, this will not make our minds change and hinder the movement, Ngouba pointed out.

Regarding the RPF's declaration of ratifying a few protocols of the Geneva Convention in 1997, Ngouba said the party's declaration is still binding and abides by the protocols.

He said, the party feels that it is essential for small nations like ours to approach the UN and other international agencies for help.

Some years back, not only the RPF but also another party had made attempts to approach such a world body.

Though the attempts have been stopped for now, it is believed that the same will be resumed in future.

For the RPF too, as part of the party's external agenda, among the programmes the party would be openly taking up abroad, is mobilising movement at the international level to make the world know our true cause, the RPF's Vice President, Ngouba informed the media persons.

On another question from a media person whether the RPF believes in the UN helping Manipur regain its lost independence and sovereignty, Ngouba said that it is a historical process.

The party would find means to do what it can within the international parameters and there will be many things that others can do as well.

There are changes in what India could do in the past, what it can do now to influence the international community, the RPF leader said and added that there are now changes in the present role of India compared to its past role.

Even in the international arena, the nations irrespective of big or small have the power to influence others, which are changeable, Ngouba pointed out.

The general suspicion is that whether the military and economic clout of India will be able to change the mindset of the country and its people of whose help the party wants to seek, the PLA's CAS said.

But it is not believable that only those countries which have money and power can influence the existing determined policies and judgements of the rest of the countries, he said.

To be concluded .

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