Common future campaign rolls on
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 01 2015 : Carrying on their campaign to build up a collective movement for a common future of all the people of Manipur, AMUCO, CCSK and UCM organised a public convention at the premises of Ima Haorok Konthou Lairembi, Konjeng Mayai Leikai today in collaboration with the local clubs and Meira Paibis.

Manipur Young Association president Dr L Samungou, its advisor Konjengbam Chandro, AMUCO vice-president Ph Deban, CCSK president Advocate P Arjun Telheiba and UCM president Johnson Elangbam attended the convention as presidium members.

Addressing the gathering, CCSK secretary general Jitendra Ningomba remarked that the political dialogue between GoI and NSCN-IM which began since 1997 is still shrouded in mystery.

People are now more anxious after the two sides signed a framework agreement on August 3 .

The convention was organised to study likely impacts and how should the people react if the framework agreement impinges upon the collective interest of Manipur, Jitendra said.

Neither GoI nor NSCN-IM can be trusted because the primary demand of the rebel outfit is unification of all Naga inhabited areas of the North East region.

On the other hand, GoI has been continuously following a divide and rule policy thereby creating divisions among different communities though the territory of Manipur remains intact.

If any solution worked out by the two parties impinges on the collective interests of Manipur, people of Manipur must rise in unison against any such political solution, Jitendra asserted.

The three CSOs have been planning for a historic mass rally before November 15, he added.

Ph Deban recalled the mammoth public rally of August 4, 1997 and the mass movement of June, 2001.These events would go down the history of Manipur as episodes in the battle against external and internal forces which are bent on disintegrating Manipur.

Questioning the GoI's stoic silence on the framework agreement, Deban, while quoting interlocutor RN Ravi's assertion that GoI has recognised the unique history of Nagas, questioned the uniqueness of Naga history.

He then asserted that NSCN-IM gave permission to an MNC based in Europe to extract petroleum products from Tamenglong district after taking Rs 100 crore.

There is no harm if GoI decides to give an economic package for the hill districts but any such economic policy should not be ethno-exclusive and the process should not bypass the Government of Manipur, Deban said.

Johnson Elangbam said that GoI and NSCN-IM have been conspiring to pave the way for disintegrating Manipur by setting up a pan-Naga cultural body.

RN Ravi was saying that Nagas have been suppressed and they have suffered a lot.

To this, the three CSOs clarified that there was a separate administration for the hill districts since 1901 (British period).

The separate administration was carried further with enaction of the ADC Act in 1972 .

Given these facts, the GoI need to study who suppressed whom and who forfeited the shares of hill people, Johnson asserted.

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