Manipur home for all : AMUCO
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 17 2017: There is no exclusive domains for Nagas or Kukis or Meiteis of Pangals in Manipur for Manipur is the common home of all the people settled here, asserted AMUCO president Ph Deban .

The Government of India should refrain from doing anything which may disturb the unity and territorial integrity of Manipur in their efforts to appease a particular community or an insurgent group, he warned .

Establishment of separate administrations for Nagas or Kukis or any other community within the State of Manipur would not be tolerated and the people would fight all such designs in befitting manner .

Speaking to media persons at their Kwakeithel office today, Deban informed that the Manipur Integrity Day would be observed at MDU Hall, Yaiskul as in the previous years .

After offering floral tributes at the Integrity Pillar located to the eastern side of Mapan Kangjeibung starting from 9.30 am, a public meeting would be held on the same day.

If the situation demands, the meeting venue may be changed .

This year's Manipur Integrity Day would be highly significant as Government of India's interlocutor for the ongoing political dialogue with NSCN-IM has stated that a solution based on the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015 would be worked out by August 3 this year .

The Government of India's stubborn refusal to divulge anything about the Framework Agreement signed two years back has only made the people of Manipur anxious and restive .

The Government of India's approach to the issue of NSCN-IM has been repeatedly threatening the unity and territorial integrity of Manipur and this was testified by the ceasefire agreement signed between Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 1, 1997 .

Reading the implications of the ceasefire agreement on Manipur, the people of Manipur took out a mammoth rally at the initiative of AMUCO on August 4, 1997.More than five lakh people took part in the rally and it turned out to be the biggest ever mass rally in South East Asia, Deban said .

The resolution adopted at the historic rally that the people of Manipur, cutting across community lines, would fight back any challenge to the unity of Manipur and its territorial integrity still stands .

NSCN-IM based in Nagaland spread its tentacles after the Bangkok Declaration of 2001 .

With the threats growing bigger, AMUCO called a State-wide general strike from June 15 to June 18 in 2001, after the Bangkok Declaration on June 14.In the subsequent mass civil movement, 18 people were killed in firing by security forces.

Five other people too died later, Deban recounted .

AMUCO welcomes the peace talk as well as the Framework Agreement but any attempt to distort the integrity of Manipur would not be tolerated.

Establishment of separate administration within Manipur is also not acceptable .

Any solution to the issue of NSCN-IM should be confined to the State of Nagaland and Manipur should be left untouched, asserted the AMUCO president .

The collective wish and position of the people of Manipur have been apprised to the Government of India, and New Delhi is expected to act accordingly.

However, if New Delhi fails to respect the collective wish, the people and AMUCO will defend the motherland at all cost.

Such a situation may seriously jeopardise Indo-Manipur relation, Deban stated .

He then appealed to all the people to make the August 4 Manipur Integrity Day observance a success and also to provide monetary assistance towards this end.

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