Imphal, October 08 2010: Vice Chairman of the proscribed People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Nongdrenkhomba has said, "We need to retract one footstep backward and march two footsteps forward jointly," and proposed that all fraternal revolutionary groups take a collective pledge towards unity.

In a message to the people on the occasion of the 33rd foundation anniversary of PREPAK which falls tomorrow, October 9, Nongdrenkhomba said that even as revolutionary groups support unification in principle, unification could not be realised till date.

It's too long that fraternal revolutionary groups could not unite together.

"Let's fight the Colonial rule as one.

As we know time and tide wait for none, the socio-economic and political conditions of the people are only aggravating day by day.

If we fail to build up our collective strength at this juncture, it is only a matter of time before India starts using our people as their beasts of burden.

We must recognise that the heightened tension between communities, inter-ethnic conflicts and rising number of anti-social elements are all offshoots of the colonial rule," the Vice Chairman of PREPAK said in his message.

The message read, on behalf of the Party's Central Committee, the Vice Chairman "extends best greetings and revolutionary salute to all brothers, sisters and friends of all indigenous people of Kangleipak, civil societies, women activists (Imas), students, scholars, resource persons, those brothers and sisters who have settled outside Kangleipak, journalists who have been discharging their duties day and night, fraternal revolutionary groups, Red Army cadres as well as all those pioneers who guided the revolutionary movement of the land" .

"Hardships, abnormally high rate of criminal activities and the heightened polarisation among different communities of the land are all obvious impacts of the prolonged colonial rule in Kangleipak.

There is no point in saying that peace and progress can never be realised in the State as long as the colonial rule exists.

Only when the colonial rule is abolished, we can dream of stepping into a new era of peaceful and secure environment," the Vice Chairman's message said.

"The ongoing struggle against the rule is not an easy task.

This war of liberation cannot be accomplished within a year or two just because we wish it.

It demands discipline, unshakeable ideology, wisdom, courage, determination and time.

The same movement is being sustained and carried forward by supreme sacrifices made by our revolutionaries.

There should be no room for internal conflict or any activity which goes against the collective interest of the people, if the revolutionary movement should be carried forward.

It needs self-introspection again and again in order to facilitate joint struggle and also to ensure that none of our revolutionary groups go against the wish and expectation of our people," Nongdrenkhomba said.

He further said that it has been more than 60 years that the North Eastern States including Kangleipak have been suffering.

Still, the level of oppression has been rising day by day by imposing military occupation with a sinister design to exterminate all the people of the region including the Kanglei nation.

The Vice Chairman said that people have started raising their voices of dissent against the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act even in New Delhi.

It is not only AFSPA, there are many other black laws which are being enforced in different parts of India.

Repressive measures perpetrated behind these black laws by the Indian Army have cost many lives and properties of civilians.

The international community is now aware of the sufferings being endured by the people at the hands of Indian Army.

There are innumerable explicit records about the repressive measures undertaken by Indian forces over the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the North Eastern States.

"Since the beginning of 1980's, many draconian laws and Acts have been imposed in the land under which the occupational forces can kill people at their own whim.

Coupled with deployment of a large number of security forces, a terror network of both overt and covert operations have been set up keeping the people under siege.

We have already come across numerous cases of state terrorists killing youngsters, who are our future pillars of the nation, in series.

There are equal number of cases about sexual harassment of women, rape, molest, etc.

by state terrorists.

The people are also witness to many cases of stealing not only jewellery and cash but even phaneks(Sarongs) and curtains by security forces during combing operations," Nongdrenkhomba alleged.

All these activities of robbing people's properties and blatant human rights violation make up the subsequent chapters of the modern history of Kangleipak after its forced annexation by India, he said.

"Even as the whole world is aware of the severe impacts of the draconian laws being enforced by India, some political parties and one General Officer of the Indian Army have the audacity to contend that these Acts have no draconian element.

This open contention only exposed that people of J&K and North East are being put under military occupation in continuation of the colonial rule," the PREPAK leader pointed out.

He further said that colonialism took birth in Europe.

It started with establishment of Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the western hemisphere in 15th-16th Century.

In the second phase, the Dutch colonised Indonesia in 16th-17th Century.

This was followed by expansion of British imperialism in North America and many countries of Asia including India in 17th-18th Century.

This long period of Colonialism came to an end after the World War II.

The British imperialists gave independence and left most of its colonies.

Though India was one of the many countries which gained independence after World War II, its leaders imbibed the politics of colonialism from their erstwhile British masters and they soon embarked on a journey of military occupation of independent princely states in the same line of colonialism.

Even in this 21st Century, the Indian leaders are unable to give up their Imperialist mentality.

He said, "The Indian rule over Kangleipak is a fine blending of classical colonialism and neo-colonialism.

Classical colonialism is characterised by occupation of a country using military power and elimination of the occupied nation's sovereignty.

Taking control of the colony's economy and then importing their own country men to marry local women so as to dilute and ultimately obliterate completely the unique identity and culture of the occupied nation are other common traits of classical colonialism.

The imperial powers often resort to intimidation of the colonised people and even genocide to perpetuate their colonial rule for eternity.

In neo-colonialism, the imperial power does not take direct political control.

Rather, they maintain indirect control by grooming puppet local politicians.

Nevertheless, they always keep the economy of the colony in their control.

They would deliberately keep the economy of the colony as much backward as possible to create a situation of economic dependence.

Monopolising trade and commerce and making the colony a captive market is a trademark of neo-colonialism.

Slowly and steadily, the coloniser would instill upon the colonised people a sense that they cannot do away with their colonisers.

It is also a policy of the exponents of neo-colonialism to keep economic resources of the colony under their strict control and make a constant propaganda that the colonised people are enjoying full sovereignty.

(to be continued) .

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