ASUK, NLFT denounce forcible merger
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 12 2021: The Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) and the National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) have imposed total shutdown in Manipur and Tripura from 6am to 6pm on October 15 against the forcible merger of the two states into India on the said day in 1949.Emergency and essential services will be exempted from the purview of the total shutdown, informed a joint statement of ASUK and NLFT.

The statement signed by ASUK chairman N Oken and NLFT president H Uastwng Borok said Manipur and Twipra (Tripura) were forced to merge with the fledgling Indian Union, a confederation forged out of a 'mere geographical expression' by swallowing up forcefully around 600 culturally and ethnically heterogeneous princely states, on October 15, 1949.Leaders of Manipur and Twipra of those days were duped by sweet slogans like Ahimsa, Satyagraha, Ram Rajya, etc.

They were also intimidated by the formidable Indian Army, to succumb to Machiavellianism-twisting and signed extremely unfair treaties to join India.

People of the two states were also equally gullible and naive to accept the merger without any palpable grudge.

But just after the merger, Indian machinations started to strangulate indigenous people of the two states.

Indian authorities let loose the juggernaut of demographic invasion, political marginalization, destruction of economic base leading to critical dependence, cultural Indianization and identity annihilation, demolition of morality and values, and emasculation of national character, the joint statement said.

Now under the present dispensation, the pace of national demolition has been accelerated blatantly.

Ram Rajya has become fascist Rajya.

Federalism has been pushed behind.

The slogan of 'one nation, one language, one religion, one identity, one law, one party, one leader' is at the top of the national agenda.

For the people of Manipur and Twipra, the rimland non-Indian minorities, national death is imminent.

Consequently, liberation movement for Manipur and Twipra has become more relevant and imperative than ever and hence the symbolic protest against the merger with strikes and shut-downs has become more necessary, the joint statement said adding people of the region need to decolonize Indian historiography of painting the draconian merger in pleasant colours.

With this idea in mind, the representatives of liberation movements of Manipur and Twipra call total shutdown in the two states on October 15, the joint statement added.

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