India using Kukis to 'divide-and-destroy' Manipur: UNLF
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 08 2024: Ahead of the 37th raising day celebration of Manipur People's Army (MPA), the armed wing of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF), which falls on Friday, Military Affairs Committee (MAC) of the Koireng-led UNLF, recounted how after Manipur regained independence from the British Empire on August 14, 1947, the then king of Manipur was forced to sign the merger agreement with India on September 9, 1949 and annexed to India on October 15 the same year.

India not only violated the UN Charter but also took on the image of regional expansionist power.

As such, the countries and groups in Western South East Asian began standing up against colonial design of India in 1956.The UNLF-MAC contended that the key to solving the ethnic conflict in Manipur lies in the hands of the Indian Government and the same could be solved at any given day as the Indian Government is patronising Kuki militant groups in Manipur.

Thus, the violence which broke out on May 3, 2023 was designed and engineered by the Home Ministry of India as part of its geopolitical agenda, by using Myanmar-based Kuki militants to supress the independence movement and destroy all related hard and soft power.

For this, the first step is to stir the interna) contradictions to the highest level possible, resulting in the Kukis and Meiteis killing each other, or for the Nagas to support the Meiteis in the situation leading to polarisation, or the best scenario, for the Nagas and Meiteis to turn again each other, leading to the isolation of Meiteis and a prime 'conflict situation'.

The overall goal is to destroy the unity and integrity of Manipur and prevent joint progress and development.

India not only has been implementing the colonial era 'Divide-and-Rule' policy in Manipur, but went a step further and upgraded it to a 'Divide-and-Destroy' policy.

Thus, the biggest challenge for the indigenous population of Manipur is to stand against these threats of the Indian government.

In other words, the objective of the Indian government is to use the false history manufactured by the Kukis to distort the historical legacy of Manipur and convert the independence movement into a mere conflict between ethnicities.

Another objective is to replace Manipur's Right to National Self Determination with the communal conflict tag, so as to deploy an unknown number of IOF to supress the people of Manipur and destroy its unity and strength.

In the world's eyes, the IOF are being deployed to control the conflict, while at the same time, presenting them as 'saviours', in the eyes of the masses, sent to protect against the Kukis.

Thus, there is a need for the people to understand this tactic and stand unwaveringly against such schemes, the MAC asserted.

Regarding MPA's responsibility, the Front stated that the main role of the armed wing is to fend off and free Manipur from the clutches of IOF, till the last breathe.

The matter of Manipur's independence and sovereignty can never be withdrawn or compromised.

This is the most important national principle of UNLF, MAC reminded.

In Manipur's context, UNLF was constituted in 1964 to restore the independent, sovereign status of Manipur.

After 60 years, the military wing of the Front was reformed in 1987.However, the wing faced many difficulties including shortage of food, shelter, clothing, weapons and wraths of the changing seasons.

All of these became huge challenges for the Front to overcome.

The present leaders of UNLF/MPA are all those who worked together to overcome these challenges.

The MAC recounted that while Manipur faced the first Seven Years' Devastation after invasion by the then Awa (later Burma, now Myanmar) army, it is currently experiencing the second Seven Years' Devastation in the form of drug menace including poppy cultivation, influx of outsiders and the current conflict caused by Kukis, in their attempt to usurp the land.

It continued that after the drug menace, particularly heroin, started spreading like wildfire in Manipur in the 1980S, the number of lives lost not to mention different crimes spiked alarmingly.

While Manipur was dealing with this issue, the influx of outsiders also increased, threatening the very existence of the indigenous population.

In 2006, Myanmar based Kukis started settling in Kuki-dominated areas of Manipur and began mass cultivation of poppies, making them extremely wealthy.

(To be continued) .

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