ASUK announces total shutdown on Aug 15
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 12 2023:
The Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) has announced total shutdown all over Manipur from 6 am to 6 pm of August 15 .
Emergency situations and essential services like fire, power, water, medical, religious ceremonies and education related activities would not be covered by the total shutdown, informed a press release issued by the ASUK Publicity Committee.
August 15 is the Independence Day of India and it would be celebrated on a grand scale across India but it has no connection with the people of Manipur.
The Independence Day of Manipur is August 14, it said.
Sharing its views on the ongoing conflict, the ASUK said that the aggression of Kuki people, armed with sophisticated weapons, against Meitei who do not have the crudest guns, killing Meitei civilians and burning down their houses was something totally unexpected.
Meitei's reaction was also astonishing.
The aggression was quite disappointing to ASUK which is dreaming of a united and independent country of all the peoples of WESEA, it said.
It alleged that the violent conflict was engineered by the alien rule.
At the same time, the conflict has awakened the Meiteis to the reality and exposed their short-sightedness as well as weakness.
"The conflict has also brought to the fore our strength as well as resources", it said.
The role played by Meitei women in the conflict was highly commendable.
Meitei women were the principal character of the conflict and it could be rightly called the Third Nupi Lan, ASUK asserted.
At the moment, Meitei people should restrict their action to only defence.
Kuki-Zo people will surely come to their senses, it said.
The violent conflict has also exposed lack of farsightedness and a strategic culture of self defence and self empowerment among the Meiteis, it observed.
The strategic culture of self defence faded gradually after British conquest of Manipur in 1891 and alleged annexation by India in 1949 .
Completely forgetting the strategic culture of defence, people were believing that India would protect them.
However, when the Kuki-Zo combatants attacked the Meiteis, no Indian soldier came forward to protect the Meitei people, it continued.
The conflict has shown that Meiteis need a sound strategy and policy of self defence and empowerment.
"We need to prepare ourselves by envisioning battles far more ruthless than the present ones", it said.
It added that the people of Manipur need not participate in the Independence Day celebration of India.