UNLF dwells on major issues on 43rd B�day-I
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 23: Extending revolutionary greetings to the people of the land on the occasion of its 43rd foundation day which falls tomorrow (November 24), the Central Committee of the UNLF today spelt out in detail its major policies and programmes in its annual statement.

The annual statement which was made available to the press today touched on many important major issues including The Core Issue of Manipur, The Present Critical Situation, Accelerating the Pace of National Liberation Struggle, National Liberation Struggle and Manipur�s Economy, Human Resource Development, Negative Cultural Influence from India, Contract/Supply and People�s Life, National Liberation Struggle and Factionalism, India�s Trap-the �Peace Talk� and Coexistence of the Region�s Ethnic Groups.

MPA cadres pose with their weapons at a base camp

Giving a detailed account of its major programmes and policies, under the Core Issue, UNLF said that the gravest dangers confronting Manipur today is the rule of India which began in 1949.Asserting that the core issue of today is the satisfactory resolution of the Manipur-India conflict to restore Manipur�s sovereignty, UNLF recalled that it had already mooted a plebiscite on January 31, 2005 so that the people may decide their fate democratically.

The Central Committee also recalled that it had offered that the plebiscite be held under the supervision of the United Nations, that UNLF would deposit all its arms with the UN, that India should withdraw her troops from Manipur for the plebiscite and the UN to hand over political power in accordance with the result of the plebiscite.

So long as the question of plebiscite remains unanswered, UNLF would continue with its military struggle, asserted the Central Committee and added that as it is with the patriotic people, the question of sovereignty is paramount to the UNLF.

Without sovereignty it would be impossible to attain certain things such as protecting the distinct National identity, basic human rights of the people, self reliant in food and clothing, fraternal co-existence and co-development of all the ethnic groups of Manipur, said UNLF.

The aspects mentioned above are essential elements for existence as a Nation, it explained.

The fact that population of Manipur si just about 1.8 million people, excluding abut 7 lakh illegal migrants, UNLF cautioned that if the pursuit of sovereignty is abandoned, then there is every possibility that the small population of Manipur may be engulfed and drowned by the 100 million strong population of India.

Ever since Manipur was forcibly annexed in 1949, India has adopted several Constitutional measures to dilute the National identity of the people, claimed the Central Committee.

The process of Indianisation, creation of social divisions in the name of democracy such as �scheduled tribe,� �scheduled caste,� �other backward classes� has only widened the social divide of the people, it claimed and called upon the people to deliberate on the disintegrating effects of the divide and rule policy of India.

The most perceptible aspect of Indian rule are the atrocities of the security personnel including killing of innocent people, enforced disappearance, random arrest and rape of women.

On the other hand the struggle has gained also gained strength from the repressive regime because it has not been able to subdue the National character, claimed UNLF.

It is precisely because of this that the India rule in Manipur had to change from one form to another such as the rule of a Chief Commissioner to the present Statehood.

Today, Indian rule has reached its final stage of evolution and the next and last is �full autonomy,� reasoned the outfit.

Hereafter Manipur becoming a sovereign country by severing all ties with India is an inevitable historical process.

Though the core issue is sovereignty of Manipur, there is however a paradox, in resolving the India-Manipur conflict, explained UNLF.

The increasing isolation of the revolutionary organisations from the masses is paradoxical to the challenges of the struggle and this is not reassuring, said UNLF and added that this paradoxical situation is giving India the opportunity to drive a wedge between the revolutionary organisations and the people.

The Indian security force has taken advantage of this and using their unaccounted money, they have been luring financially unstable elements of society including women as informers against the National struggle, said UNLF.

The factors helping the SF are the use of force and intimidation, dismal performance of the Parties as general perceived compared to the huge amount of money they have collected, the confusion of the people about the direction and thrust of the struggle resulting from the lack of concrete and action oriented unity among the Parties.

However the most important factor for the increasing isolation of the struggle from the people is the inability of the Parties to identify the National liberation struggle with the struggle for existence with the masses, pointed out the Central Committee.

This should be construed as ideological shortcomings of the Parties while the practical weakness is the inability of the Parties to build a united leadership.

If these weaknesses are not redressed soon there is danger awaiting the National struggle, said UNLF and reasoned that any revolutionary struggle isolated from the people cannot win victory.

Pointing out further dangerous aspects of the situation in Manipur, UNLF said that one very dangerous trend is the political game of some ethnic �politicians� who abuse their ethnic groups for narrow political interests, particularly in rigging �elections.� Such groups and politicians is highest among the Kuki community, said the outfit and asserted that now it is an open secret that the frequent clashes between among Kuki armed groups are mostly instigated by such politicians.

Such instigations have claimed the lives of many Kuki youths, said UNLF and urged the Kuki community, particularly the youth to take stock of the situation or else, the only loser will be the Kuki community.