Campaign on FA to go on
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 02 2017: A public convention held today at Indian Medical Association (IMA) auditorium, Lamphelpat under the aegis of CCSK and UCM resolved to carry on the ongoing campaign on Framework Agreement despite the assurances made by Prime Minister Narendra and many Union Ministers to the effect that the agreement would not affect Manipur in any manner.

The convention also appreciated all the candidates who have signed on the 'Pledge to the People of Manipur' document whereby they have pledged to fight any challenge to the territorial integrity of Manipur and not to compromise the integrity of Manipur under any circumstances.

On the other hand, many speakers who addressed the convention expressed strong reservation against the candidates who failed to append their signatures on the pledge.

Campaign on FA to go on

Names of all the candidates, their Assembly segments and political parties who appended their signatures on the pledge were announced at the convention.

Altogether 129 candidates appended their signatures on the pledge.

They included 35 BJP candidates, 17 INC candidates, 14 NPP candidates, 10 NEIDP candidates, nine AITC candidates, eight MNDF candidates, six CPI candidates, five candidates each of LJP and MPP, four NCP candidates, two each of CPI-M and AIFB and nine independent candidates .

Speaking at the convention, UCM president Elangbam Johnson said that the Framework Agreement can be viewed from two perspectives.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Central leaders stated that the Framework Agreement would not affect the territorial integrity of Manipur, NSCN-IM leadership came out with a contradictory statement soon after the agreement was signed.

Even today, NSCN-IM leadership has been claiming that their long cherished dream is about to be fulfilled.

Every one is aware that NSCN-IM has been dreaming to bring all Naga inhabited areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Myanmar under a single administrative roof.

Despite the contradictory statements of Indian leaders and NSCN-IM, one can assume that the two parties has an understanding on certain points.

That is why, people of Manipur have been demanding disclosure of the details of the Framework Agreement, Johnson said.

On the other hand, both BJP and the Congress have been using the Framework Agreement as a convenient tool for their election propaganda.

Even if there are numerous civil movements, it is the political parties and the elected representatives who would decide on the political matters of the State.

Even though the campaign coincided with the election time, the campaign is neither in favour nor in support of any political party, Johnson clarified.

He then called all those candidates who did not come forward to sign on the pledge as political hypocrites who have no sense of patriotism.

When the Chief Judicial Commissioner (CJM) was the head of the State judiciary, the CJM issued an order in 1961 regarding a land dispute in a village of Ukhrul district.

The order ruled that the concerned village chief/khullakpa should be the owner of the disputed land.

At that time, none of the politicians gave any comment.

The State Government signed an agreement with Naga groups in 1922.The agreement said that no political decision pertaining to Naga areas would be adopted without consent of Naga people.

This time too all politicians remained silent.

After the June 18 event of 2001, there was 120 days' economic blockade on National Highways in 2011.The blockade was lifted only after the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India gave a written assurance, Johnson said.

CCSK president Arjun Telheiba said that the people of Manipur are quite familiar with terms like 'Supra State', 'Alternative Arrangement' 'greater autonomy' etc.

He said that any threat to the integrity of Manipur while keeping its territorial boundary intact would not be accepted. Referring to RN Ravi's assertion that 'something' would be given to the NSCN-IM, Telheiba said that the 'something' should be spelt out and it should acceptable to the people of Manipur.