Imphal, April 12: Pledging that the Revolutionary Peoples' Front and its armed wing the PLA will continue to struggle to win back the lost sovereignty, the outfit on the occasion of its Martyrs' Day on April 13 has said that the day will come when it will be able to hand over the flag of liberty to the people.

For the last 57 years the people of Manipur have been living in bondage, said the outfit in a statement and added that from September 25, 1978 RPF/PLA has been faithfully carrying out the duty and responsibility thrust upon it by history.

April 13 will remain etched in the history of the revolutionary struggle in gold, said the statement and added that the spirit of sacrifice on this day in 1982 will continue to be the guiding light for the outfit, said the statement.

Asserting that there would be no looking back or retreat, the outfit said that it has been able to fight the enemy due to the support and help extended by the people.

RPF/PLA will not waver from its stand until the lost liberty is handed back to the people, it pledged.

Enunciating its principles and ideologies, the statement said that the struggle launched by the RPF/PLA sees no difference between any religious faiths and communities.

The ultimate aspiration of the RPF/PLA is an egalitarian society where people can live and breathe the air of freedom and liberty.

Since 1978, the revolutionary struggle has been able to substantially puncture the air of arrogance and superiority of the enemy, said the statement and added that the water shed incident on April 13, 1982 infused new hope and sowed the seeds of sacrifice.

During the last many years, India and its puppets in Manipur have also come to know the aspirations of the people to live as a free people, asserted RPF/PLA. The seeds of asserting oneself and the demand to live with dignity as a free people were sown by the people and the martyrs who have laid down their lives for the sake of the land.

India is notorious for stopping or prohibiting the people to pay their respect to the departed souls, said the outfit and added that the past incidents every year on April 13 prove this.

The act of vandalising the sacred sites of the departed souls and desecrating their memorial places at Cheiraoching was carried out by India and its agents, charged the outfit.

The people of Manipur have been waging a war against the Government of India for the last 57 years to live as a free people, said RPF and added that the movement launched by it for the last 29 years is a true revolutionary struggle to free the people from the yoke of alien rule.

The very act of prohibiting the people from paying their respect at the sacred sites and desecrating them shows that the Indian security forces and police commandos do not have any human qualities.

The responsibility of the people of Manipur is today to stand up and fight so that they can live as a free people, said RPF.

The successful revolutionary movements launched in the middle of the 20th century across the world woke up the people of Manipur to follow suit and take up the banner of launching similar movements, added the outfit.

The pioneering leader, Irabot first led the voice of revolt against imperialism and feudal power, recalled RPF and added that even after his death, the struggle continued.

The people as a whole rose in one and from the fag end of the 70s launched the movement which is flourishing even today.

The RPF has been carrying on the struggle faithfully for the last 29 years for a free and sovereign Manipur, said the statement.

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