Convention on CAB resolves to protect identity, resources
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 01 2019:
Another public convention held today at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen, Palace Compound has resolved to take up necessary steps to protect the indigenous peoples of Manipur and the North East in the face of the CAB 2016 .
The resolution reads, "As the Government of India is not respecting the fundamental rights of the North East people by suppressing the collective voice of North East people, we have resolved together to take up steps to protect our land, people, cultural identity and natural resources against aggrandizement by forces inimical to the people of North East and Manipur democratically, morally and legally" .
It also reaffirmed people's commitment to launch a sustained movement until CAB 2016 is withdrawn without any condition.
The public convention held under the aegis of the Manipur People Against CAB (MANPAC) recalled the judgement passed by the Supreme Court (Sarbananda Sonowal vs Union of India) that the presence of large number of illegal migrants from Bangladesh is 'an act of external aggression'.
The convention expressed pain and shock that democratic methods of registering dissent against the unconstitutional act of the Government of India in trying to pass the CAB 2016 are yet to be appreciated.
While condemning the Government of India's unconstitutional and undemocratic way of passing the CAB 2016 in the Lok Sabha on January 8 against vehement opposition from the whole North East region, the convention noted that the Bill threatens the very existence of the indigenous peoples of the North East region as a whole and Manipur in particular.
It was also resolved that MANPAC along with the people of Manipur will appeal to whosoever matter in the present Government of India to honour the Constitution of India.
To communicate with other North Eastern States to forge a united struggle under a common strategy to fight against the discrimination that is bring wrought upon the people of the North East region was another resolution adopted at the people's convention.
The people of Manipur and 72 CSOs would fight together against CAB 2016 and its hidden objective by all democratic means until the rights and existence of the indigenous peoples of the North East and Manipur are secured, reads another resolution.
The people's convention was presided by MANPAC convenor Yumnamcha Dilipkumar and moderated by Prof Soyam Lokendrajit.
The gathering agreed that the MANPAC would chalk out and announce all strategic course of action in accordance with the dynamics of CAB 2016.It was also agreed to assign the task of putting the resolutions into action to MANPAC convenor Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, eight co-convenors and nine members.
Speaking at the convention, former president of DESAM Moirangthem Angamba raised a proposal for the North East to go its own wat in case the Government of India bulldozes its way and pass the CAB 2016 in the Rajya Sabha despite vehement opposition by all sections of people in the region.
Pointing out that all the North Eastern States are already under severe threats from incessant influx of non-local people, Angamba said that CAB 2016 will wipe out all the indigenous peoples of the North East from the surface of the earth once it becomes an Act.
He further raised another proposal to ban all political parties in Manipur and the entire North East region which either support or do not speak a single word against the Bill.
It is common knowledge that Manipur was forcibly merged into the Indian Union and this is the root cause of the many revolutionary movements seen in the State.
But what the people of Manipur have been demanding is not independence but withdrawal of just one Bill, he pointed out.
If the demand to withdraw the Bill goes unheeded, people of the State can definitely demand Manipur's pre-merger status, Angamba said.
At the end of his speech, Angamba brought out a map of India and tore the North East region from the map, in a symbolic move.
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