ASUK calls total shutdown on Aug 15
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 10 2022:
While announcing imposition of total shutdown from 6am to 6pm on August 15, Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) has called upon the people of Manipur not to take part in any event related with India's Independence Day celebration on August 15.The total shutdown, however, will not cover medical, religious ceremonies and emergency services, ASUK said in a statement and appealed to people to support the shutdown.
According to the ASUK statement issued by its publicity committee convener S Mangal, India was formed on August 15, 1947 and it is celebrating its 76th Independence Day this year with never before widespread campaign called Har Ghar Tiranga.
Though hectic preparation for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is being made in Manipur, hoisting of Indian tricolour flag in mainland India and Manipur must have different meaning as August 15 is the Independence Day for mainland Indians but black day for people of Manipur.
Hoisting tricolour flag in every house indeed will be a proud moment for mainland Indians but it is akin to fastening colonial cage on the neck of entire people of Manipur, ASUK said.
Elucidating outfit's thought on the campaign, ASUK said that Manipur society is filled with numerous problems which are too difficult to solve and some of the notable problems are the ever-increasing population of outsiders who threaten the existence of indigenous people, drug abuse, fragile economy, corruption and inability to merge two groups of people.
Apart from this, failure in education sector has rendered the Manipur society directionless and breeding ground for anti-social elements.
All these problems have potential to annihilate a society but it is very unfortunate that there is not reliable response towards solving these problems.
Creative minority should take responsibility to solve these problems but no leader including from revolutionary groups are unable to give reliable response till date, ASUK noted.
While maintaining that the drowning of Manipur society is fallout of imperialist India's prolonged suppressive rule, the ASUK statement said that had Manipur society been independent all the problems could have been contained though unable to resolve permanently.
Manipur being a part of colonial India, the above-mentioned problems expanded and gave birth to numerous other problems day by day, it said, adding that being a colony of India is the biggest problem faced by Manipur society and India's main objective is to drown Manipur society and extinct it completely.
While asserting that colonial administration and Independence Day celebration are being made co-related due to ability to erase collective historical memory from the minds of colonised people, ASUK said that celebrating India's Independence Day in Manipur will wipe away the history of the land while imposing India's history at the same time.
It also said that celebrating India's Independence Day is a big weapon to erase Manipur's history and hence people of the land should not take part in the celebration.