Freedom is our birthright: Irengbam Chaoren-II
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 25 2014: An extensive network is being built up among those people who are actively engaged in perpetuating the colonial rule.

The network is employed to misinterpret, disparage and subdue the revolutionary movement.

They have been churning out volumes after volumes of propaganda in their attempt to convince the mass that Manipur would not survive without Government of India's assistance.

The question "What should we eat after independence?" is an outcome of the continuous propaganda churned out by the mercenaries of the colonial rule.

Employing all such dubious and half-cooked conspiracies and propaganda, the comprador class has been relentlessly working to project the liberation movement as something implausible bereft of legitimacy.

They have been scheming to confuse the mass by popularising such terms like 'misguided youth' or 'anti-social elements' for revolutionary cadres as well as the political thoughts which critique colonial rule and advocate independence.

Over the years, these terms assume potent implications and they are incorporated into the colonial military strategy.

For instance, people who deserted the revolutionary movement were mobilized to set up gangs and they are being used as convenient agents to oppress the mass, extort money and smuggle drugs.

Surrender or 'home-coming' ceremonies and suspension of operation pacts are some common elements of the propaganda machinery oiled and sustained to project the revolutionary movement in a bad light and create a disconnect between the revolutionaries and our people.

The growing necessity for the majority mass to join and support the liberation movement is testified by crumbling economy, social disorder and distressful relationship among different communities in the aftermath of the forced annexation of Manipur into the Indian Union.

As consequences of India's long term and vigorous policies, Manipur has been rendered dependent economically, inter-community relationships have been strained and rampant human rights violation have become a daily occurrence.

This evokes a serious question.

"What is our duty to the Nation at this crucial historical juncture?" The answer to this question will definitely be a major determiner of our political future.

There can be no two answers to this question for the simple reason that nothing is more precious than freedom to mankind.

Freedom is paramount because freedom defines life whereas subservience or subjugation symbolizes death, Chaoren elucidated.

Ethnic politics and its ramifications which are fast engulfing every sphere of the geo-political entity called Manipur is a phenomenon which took its roots in the aftermath of the annexation of Manipur into the Indian Union.

"By plunging ourselves in the whirlwind of ethnic politics rather than questioning the larger imperial politics, we are inadvertently strengthening and consolidating the colonial rule.

It's time to question and challenge the separate or non-uniform policies which are creating a hill-valley dichotomy", the RPF President asserted.

Deployment of additional security forces in hill areas, imposition of AFSPA or CrPC 144 and hill-valley polarization are being promoted by the ruling elites to sustain their power politics at the cost of common men.

By using words and phrases with communal overtones, the ruling class has been attenuating Manipur from within.

Guided and driven by their common class interest, the ruling elites of Manipur have been defending and collaborating with the colonial rule.

Through extensive militarization and formulation of separate or non-uniform policies, India has been continuously threatening the integrity of Manipur.

Just like what imperial India has been doing for the past many decades, some insurgent groups have been capitalising on the ethnic conflict situation by fuelling and abetting such conflicts to divert public scrutiny from their misplaced revolutionary strategies and initiatives.

It's time to discard such ethnic-based divisive policies and join hands with fellow revolutionaries for a united struggle, Chaoren called out while strongly condemning the militarization of Ukhrul denizens.

It is a matter of fact that people of both the hills and valley have been living in the shadow of heavy militarization, a process which started since the day Manipur was annexed into the Indian Union.

Of late, some NGOs, activists and self-proclaimed scholars have been openly shouting for 'peace' and they even formed peace committee.

This created confusion to the mass.

These NGOs and scholars have been conveniently overlooking the centrality of independence and working as agents of imperial India for some material benefits.

Their activities breed suspicion among the people on the core objective of freedom and the armed method employed to achieve the core objective.

It comes as no surprise when people brought up in the midst of institutions run by the Indian State indulge in such political trickery.

"Revolutionary groups of the land can see their game plan inside out and our people should be always on guard against such seemingly harmless elements", cautioned the rebel leader.

There are human civilizations on Earth because each of them has their distinctive identities.

When the distinctive identity of any Nation is threatened, no time must be lost in tackling the forces or elements posing threats to the collective identity.

But it is easier said than done in the face of the sweeping currents of globalization.

Many small Nations across the world are being steadily wiped out, many others are on the verge of extinction.

Although globalization boosted world economy and converted the whole world into mammoth market under highly liberalized trade regime, globalization poses serious threats to many small Nations.

The only escape route from these serious threats is sovereignty, self-reliance and egalitarianism, concluded Irengbam Chaoren.

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