Imphal, June 17: A convincing assurance from the Centre that the agreement to extend the cease-fire into the territory of Manipur shall be withdrawn and the Article 3 of the Constitution of India shall not be applied particularly to Manipur can be the only solution to the present uprising in Manipur row.

This was stated by the convenor of the monitoring group on the territorial integrity of Manipur of the All Manipur United Clubs� Organization (AMUCO), RK Anand, while addressing a press conference this evening.

RK Anand said since August 4, 1997, many mass demonstrations, rallies and protests were held in the state against the extension of cease-fire, but it is unfortunate that the Centre blatantly turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the people of Manipur, which otherwise gives an impression that the Government of India is pursuing a secret agenda to wipe out the Manipuris, a group of minority communities, and their two-millennia-old brotherhood.

The government of India has been time and again assuring the people of Manipur that he cease-fire between it and the NSCN(IM) will not be extended to the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be affected.

However, the government of India at no point of time gave any guarantee in this regard; and this has been another reason for anxiety of the people, he said.

There is neither a will nor a meaning for us to survive without a viable state, and the people of the state are vary much aware of it.

Now the circumstance dictates the people to take up extreme line of action, he said adding the AMUCO has already charted its course of action.

In this regard, Anand disclosed the AMUCO is organizing massive sit-in demonstrations throughout the state and a massive rally will be taken out during the first week next month.

Moreover, it is also courting mass arrest and mobilizing civil disobedience movements, if necessary.

All this have been worked out after consultation with leaders of various communities, he said.

Organizations in Manipur which are taking the fore front in legitimate social movements are being debilitated by describing them as frontal organizations of underground groups, he lamented and described it as unfortunate.

Dhanabir Laishram, advisor of the AMUCO, who was also present during the press conference, said the territorial extension of the cease-fire is inconspicuously legitimizing the demand for greater Nagaland comprising areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

He also suspected the extension as a political conspiracy between the government of India and NSCN(IM) to disintegrate Manipur.

History is evident that the government of India at will apportioned vast areas of Manipur to others utterly against the wishes of the people.

Such repeated betrayal by it is the reason for the Manipur to always suspect its motives.

However, he added, the people of Manipur shall not compromise with the territory of Manipur this time.

The government of India is maliciously sowing the seed of internal contradictions among various co-existing communities in the state.

Bloodshed among the brotherhood is what it is interested to witness.

But the AMUCO will never allow this evil design to fructify because not only the other communities but also the bulk of the Naga people in the state shudder at the prospect of bloodshed among the brotherhood, Dhanabir said.

Comment