Public meet deliberates on common future
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 30 2015 : Another public meeting was held today at Naoremthong Laishram Leirak community hall on the topic "Movement for Manipuri people's common future" .

The committee was jointly organised by AMUCO, CCSK, UCM and other like minded civil society organisations.

AMUCO advisor KT Rahman, CCSK secretary general Jitendra Ningomba, UCM vice-president Sunil Karam, retd Col Khullem Sorojit and United Clubs Organisation president Heramani Khaba attended the meeting as presidium members.

KT Rahman said that the people of Manipur have been standing steadfast against repeated attempts of the Government of India to disintegrate Manipur in their bid to appease NSCN-IM.

He reminded about the mammoth public rally staged at Imphal on August 4, 1997 and the mass movement of June, 2001.People are now anxious about the possible outcome of the framework agreement signed between NSCN-IM and GoI on August 3 this year.

Given this insecure political situation, all the people of Manipur need to set aside all differences of ethnicity and pledge collectively to safeguard the integrity of Manipur under any circumstances, KT Rahman asserted.

The contents of the framework agreement have not been disclosed and there is no sign of the Chief Minister exerting any pressure on the Centre to divulge the contents of the agreement.

State BJP leaders too came back without knowing anything about the framework agreement although they were boldly claiming that they had met central leaders and made clear that the territorial integrity of Manipur could not be compromised, he remarked.

Jitendra Ningomba observed that since NSCN-IM and GoI signed cease fire agreement in 1997, different proposals for greater Nagaland, South Nagalim, supra State, alternative arrangement and VIth schedule have been put forward by either of the two parties.

Scaling down their demand from sovereignty, NSCN-IM has now been demanding pan-Naga cultural integration which has many political implications.

Even if it is presumed that the pan-Naga cultural integration has been achieved, the Government of India would still retain control of all the resources found in the North East region, Jitendra said.

At the same such cultural integration would prompt other communities to demand ethno-exclusive homelands or States.

Given these possibilities, any challenge to the territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur must not be tolerated, he asserted.

With RN Ravi still maintaining that something must be given to NSCN-IM, people of Manipur need to be wary of the dialogue process, he added.

Sunil Karam said that the ongoing campaign is not about confrontation among different communities rather it is about forging unity among all communities of the State.

While both Nagas and Kukis have raised separate demands for ethno-exclusive States, some sections of Meiteis have been demanding ST status.

All these three ideologies are not advisable.

These are outcomes of the divisive policies devised by some elements.

As for AMUCO, UCM and CCSK have submitted a six-point memorandum demanding white paper on the 17 years old political dialogue between GoI and NSCN-IM.

At the same time, it has also been made clear that any challenge to the territorial integrity of Manipur would be tolerated.

The three organisations have also been preparing for another meeting with RN Ravi on November 3, Sunil said.

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