PREPAK calls for protection of identity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 08 2015 : The proscribed PREPAK has greeted all the indigenous people of Kangleipak (Mani-pur) and the world on the occasion of the International Day of World's Indigenous People (August 9) .

Indigenous people across the world are being subjected to invasion, forced annexation, coercive alteration of their history and denial of rights by bigger communities, and their future is becoming bleaker and bleaker with each passing year, the outfit noted in a press statement issued by its publicity and propaganda assistant secretary Leibak-ngakpa Luwang.

There are more than 5000 groups of indigenous people on the planet and their total population is 37 crore which is just around 5 per cent of the world population, The UN General Assembly declared August 9 as the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on December 23, 1994 after taking the date of the first session of the United Nations Working Group of Indigenous People (WGIP) held at Geneva from August 9 to 13, 1982 .

Observance of August 9 as International Day of World's Indigenous People gives an opportunity to all the indigenous peoples to struggle for their rights as en- shrined in the UN charter and strive together to resolve the common issues of all indigenous people.

Like other indigenous people of the world, indigenous people of Kangleipak have been enduring different challenges and difficulties.

The alleged alien rule has been creating divisions among the indigenous communities of Manipur and has bred a situation of animosity.

By encouraging different ethnic groups to demand their separate homelands, the Govern- ment of India has struck a serious blow to the indigenous people's unity.

At the same time, the alien regime has been following a policy of cultural assimilation and identity obliteration.

This policy has devastating impacts on the indigenous lang- uages, religious practices and culture.

All these covert and overt policies bred a misplaced concept of the external philosophy being superior to the indigenous one.

Indigenous people of Kangleipak have been reduced to the status of slaves and their misery is simply endless.

Coupled with the ceaseless influx of outsiders, indigenous people of Kanglei-pak would be completely overwhelmed by outsiders within 4/5 years of establishing railway connectivity with India.

Like other people, indigenous people of Kangleipak are entitled to all the fundamental freedom and rights as enshrined in the UN Charter.

All indigenous peoples are entitled to the right to self determination which means they have the right to decide their political, cultural and economic status, the outfit asserted.

People of Kangleipak need to understand the degenerated situation of their culture, social practices, economy, traditions and political status for collective re-construction of these lost or vanishing values.

All indigenous communities of Kangleipak need to struggle for their rights and by exercising these rights, they need to work with a clear vision in order to protect their identity, culture and traditions.

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