Sit-in protest on July 28,24 hours bandh from midnight of July 31 lined up
GoI hatching fresh conspiracy to disintegrate State: CSOs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 26 2018: Alleging that the Government of India has been hatching a conspiracy to disintegrate Manipur, AMUCO, CCSK and UCM have announced that they would launch different modes of agitation including general strike.

Speaking to media persons at their Kwakeithel office today, AMUCO president Ph Deban said that a mass sit-in protest would be staged on July 28 in denunciation of the Government of India's policy vis-a-vis the integrity of Manipur.

This would be followed by a State-wide 24 hours general strike from the midnight of July 31 .

Moreover, AMUCO, CCSK and UCM have been preparing for a mass rally on August 18, Deban said.

The Government of India's attempt to enforce Article 371(A) in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, apart from Nagaland is a sinister ploy to disintegrate the three States, said the AMUCO president.

In the course of the two-decades old political dialogue between the Government of India and NSCN-IM, the integrity of Manipur and the sanctity of its territorial boundary have been threatened repeatedly.

Deban said that the people of Manipur have been standing firm and united since 1997 against all alleged sinister ploys of the Government of India to disintegrate Manipur.

During these years, many people have lost their lives while many others have been maimed for life for the cause of the State's integrity, he said.

A report presented recently at the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs says that a special status may be accorded to the Nagas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh under Article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution.

The committee's report on Article 371(A) was based on the feedback provided by Government of India's Interlocutor RN Ravi.

Even though the Government of India has been claiming that their initiative is aimed at ushering in peace and stability in the North East region, the same initiative is exclusive to a single community and it is a direct attempt to disintegrate all other communities and ignite a catastrophic bloodshed, Deban remarked.

Since its alleged forced merger with the Union of India, the people of Manipur have been living a wretched life characterised by economic dependence and political subjugation.

Now the Government of India has been hatching a fresh conspiracy to disintegrate Manipur and it will do great harm to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh too, he said.

He called upon all the people to join and support the series of agitation lined up by AMUCO, CCSK and UCM, and also to take a collective decision to snap all ties with India in case the Government of India still challenges the integrity of Manipur and the sanctity of its territorial boundary.

He further appealed to all the people not to spark communal tension of any kind or provoke any community.

The AMUCO president also appealed to all Manipuris settledstaying outside the State to support the proposed agitation in their own capacity.

UCM president Sunil Karam asserted that extension of Article 371(A) beyond Nagaland is an unmistakable step towards a Greater Nagaland.

Although the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the BJP president and BJP leaders of the State repeatedly assured that the Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 does not contain anything inimical to the collective interest of Manipur, the proposal for extension of Article 371 (A) beyond Nagaland as mentioned in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affair's report gives a hint of the contents of the Framework Agreement, Sunil said.

"We will not rest until and unless both the Government of India and NSCN-IM come to a clear position", asserted the UCM president.

At the same time, the State Government must take a concrete position on the changing dynamics of the Framework Agreement and BJP Manipur Pradesh should come with a clarification for deceiving the people of Manipur, he demanded.

CCSK vice-president Jitendra Ningomba was also j present at the press meet.

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