India's Hidden War in the NE
An exclusive chat with RK Meghen - I
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 05: Sanayaima UNLF Chief, reveals his plans for a Mass Uprising in Manipur to CNN-IBN Special Investigation Editor VK Sashikumar.

Somewhere in the deep jungles of South East Manipur, Sanayaima talks to CNN IBN.

VK ShashiKumar: Why do you claim to have an advantage over the Indian Army deployed in Manipur?
RK Sanayaima: It's a combination of factors.

Terrain is one of them and cause, which you fight for, is a very important factor.

We have a cause to fight for.

For us, it's a question of life and death.

If we stop fighting, we don't exist as a Nation � as a people.

Another major factor is the support of the local people.

We have the support of our own people and they're in alien country.

So a combination of all these factors has made all the difference.

VK ShashiKumar: Separatists in Jammu and Kashmir also dispute the J&K merger agreement.

You dispute the Manipur Merger Agreement.

So what are the grounds on which you are demanding secession ?
RK Sanayaima:Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur gained independence when the British left in 1947.(Between) 47-49 October, we were an independent country.

And Kashmir was also somehow annexed.

Manipur was also annexed�extracting under duress the signature of the King (Bodh Chandra Singh) on the so-called merger agreement in Sept 1949. In between 1947 and 1949, Manipur became a constitutionally democratic country.

King became a head of the State and in 1948 a general election was held under democratic Constitution.

An Assembly was elected and a Council of Ministers was formed.

So at the time of annexation in 1949, democracy was already functioning in Manipur when democracy was yet to be established in India.

So in a sense the annexation of 1949 is suppression or murder of democracy in Manipur by the largest democracy in the world.

India is supposed to be the largest democracy in the world and when their Constitution was about to be adopted, it annexed Manipur, abolished the democratic institutions of Manipur.

That's how it all began � the conflict � the genesis of the Manipur-India conflict.

UNLF Chief - RK Sanayaima

VK ShashiKumar: But your separatist movement is violent.

Do you have links with organizations like the LTTE?
RK Sanayaima:The difference is there was no Tamil Eelam.

They want to create new Eelam.

And for us, we already were an independent country.

We want to regain our sovereign independence.

So this is a question of regaining our sovereign independence, not a question of demanding independence from India.

We're not demanding anything from India.

We just want what ought to be ours�and we'll fight for that.

VK ShashiKumar: It's a hidden war that you're fighting; it's not talked about in Delhi or in the media, what's your view on that ?
RK Sanayaima:I would say that the Indian media, particularly the mainstream media, seems to be not so much interested in what's in this part.

That's why there hasn't been much coverage for the last many decades.

That's the indifference of the mainstream Indian media.

Now we see something more � a deliberate policy not to highlight the sufferings of the people, their struggle, their aspirations and the Indian policy in this regard I think now, is the obvious policy adopted by the mainstream media.

I think this is part of the Indian policy.

VK ShashiKumar: So what's your political vision ?
RK Sanayaima:We want to move forward along the historical development in the world.

But our basic stance is we must have our sovereign independence back.

That is one.

And second, taking this region as a whole, we take the so-called North-eastern region as a composite core, Manipur being a part of that core.

So we believe that all ethnic groups in this region should co-exist together.

They should unite together so that we can form some sort of a union of independent States or something like that.

We believe in the basic unity of the region, which is more important than the apparent differences in language and social things.

Despite all those differences, a basic unity remains � the unity of interdependence.

Manipur is a multi-ethnic country� more than 38 small ethnic groups.

This is the basis of our political vision.

We believe all ethnic groups could co-exist together respecting one another's distinct identity.

Particularly, the majority community should not try to dominate the minority communities.

This is the basis of our political outlook.

And we believe that there should be autonomy at all levels.

Even a small community of 200 people can have autonomy if they so desire.

Autonomy at all levels.

At a glance

* United National Liberation Front, Chief, Sanayaima: Manipur People's Army (MPA) is ready to take on the Indian state in the Imphal Valley. * UNLF Chief: "We are prepared for urban guerilla warfare."
* UNLF: MPA has acquired modern weapons and communication equipment including anti-aircraft guns to deter any aerial or heliborne military operations.
* UNLF chief: "We'll come to see some sort of Intifada� India should not be allowed to simply massacre our people."
* UNLF plans to take the war into the streets of Manipur by sparking civil unrest
* UNLF Chief: "The movement is gaining momentum.