KYKL shares thoughts on people's response to COVID-19-II
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 25 2020:
Just as economy drives culture, culture invigorates economy and the way people live their life at present is their living culture, continued the KYKL Chairman.
"Our culture depends on our thinking and perspective.
But our thinking and perspective at the moment are of those of parasites who are only waiting for outsiders to provide all our requirements but such a thinking is a false consciousness", he remarked.
It is this false consciousness which makes the people dumb, weak, lazy and poor.
"If the people can change their thinking and perspective and strive with a determination, our character will improve and we will have better future.
Once again, we would become industrious and prosperous.
Ultimately, we would become economically self-reliant", Oken asserted.
During the British colonial and until 1972 when Manipur was granted statehood, the State's economy was largely petty commodity mode of production.
But today one can said that there are many objective conditions where capitalism can thrive on the soil of Kangleipak (Manipur) .
There are some people wealthy people or capitalists who can invest in bug businesses.
Though small, some finance capitalists are also emerging and there is the Asian Highway which connects Kangleipak with all the world.
With the Trans-Asian Railway coming soon, the problem of procuring raw materials and absence of markets for selling finished products would be resolved considerably.
Given these conditions, one can say that capitalism can now thrive on the soil of Kangleipak, said the rebel outfit.
One major obstacle to letting capitalism take roots in the soil of Kangleipak is the habitual antagonistic attitude of some leaders towards capitalism and capitalists, he continued.
This antagonistic attitude is a manifestation of those leader's aspiration for an egalitarian society.
One need to shed such antagonistic attitude but the threats posed by the all-powerful multi-national corporate capitalism is also a fact, Oken said.
"However if we must survive, we need to support native capitalism and join the global value chain", asserted the KYKL Chairman.
Had the public leaders during 1945-49 supported the king/monarchy, India's alleged expansionism and imperialism would not have swallowed Kangleipak.
During that period people fought against feudalism and undertook class struggle in pursuit of development.
In the name of supporting democracy, people jumped into the jaws of imperialism.
At that time, democracy was more exploitative than democracy.
Democracy of that time was imperialism cloaked in democracy, Oken asserted.
He then claimed that people should welcome native capitalism instead of vilifying it.
Capitalism is not always wrong or bad and there is no contradiction between egalitarianism and market economy, he concluded.