UNLF shares thoughts on key issues-I
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 23 2019: The proscribed UNLF has shared its thoughts, ideas, perceptions and positions on several keys issues besieging the State such as Hindu-isation/Hindutva, demogra- phic invasion/CAB, internal contradictions, Framework Agreement and integrity of Manipur, ST demand for Meiteis etc.

A lengthy statement issued by the outfit's Central Committee on the occasion of the 55th raising day of the UNLF (November 24) rued that the fate of the composite history and identity of all indigenous ethnic groups having an inseparable and organic relationship is falling apart due to the Government of India's divide and rule policy which is fragmenting the collectives throughout the long 70 years since the very day Manipur was allegedly annexed in 1949.The most potent and ultimate policy of India is to racially assimilate all the distinct ethnos of the region which are already kept suppressed politically, econo- mically and socio-culturally, to the mainland India which is quite different from WESEA in every aspect.

Due to this 70 years of hegemonic rule of India, people are degraded, dehumanized losing all their valour and values of society and thus more and more people have become slavish and dependent, reads the statement.

Since the Sangha Parivar of VHP, RSS and BJP of the extreme Hindu right wing with their allies came to power in Delhi, they began exercising imposition of their 'Hindutva' ideology all over India threatening the existence of smaller groups and minorities which have distinctive language, culture, religion, and identities.

This policy of the majority Hindus and Hindi heartlands have become a battleground for the life and death of small and minority populations having distinctive language, origin, cul- ture and identities.

The hegemonistic policy of India is well manifested in the relentless effort to impose Hindi language all over India under the pretext of being national language The main objective of this one-ness of India is to assimilate/obliterate the smaller distinct nationalities so that India becomes one nation, one people, one culture, so and so, it alleged.

"India has been engineering a relentless, demographic invasion of our region with their excess population.

This is a double-edge step, first, to suppress our people's liberation struggle with a population war and secondly, to resolve the Manipur-India national contradiction once and for all with racial assimilation of our indigenes.

These outsiders are settling and encroaching upon our lands and workplaces; and cohabiting with our indigenous people, thereby eroding our socio-cultural and racial identities", it continued.

Pointing out that GoI has been vigorously pushing to re-introduce Citizenship Amendment Bill against the wishes of the people of WESEA, the UNLF Central Committee alleged that the CAB is aimed at achieving racial assimilation of indigenous people of the WESEA to the vast population of mainland India.

This clearly proves that within Indian system the indigenous peoples of the region with their small populations can not safeguard their ethnic identities and survive Therefore, it is impossible for the indigenous peoples of the region to seek their ethno-exclusive solutions within India's colonial framework and it is just like putting our 'common future' into oblivion, the Central Committee continued.

The recent forced bifurcation of the State of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories namely Kashmir and Ladakh by abrogating Article 370 and Article 35(A) of Indian Constitution thereby abolishing the Jammu and Kashmir Parliament which had a separate Constitution is an extreme and rude action of India, it remarked.

Lakhs of Indian forces are deployed in the already heavily militarised Kashmir, put the people in gunpoints, keeping hundreds of their leaders behind bars including women and shutting down media and internet as well.

This is India's total disregard of democracy and a clear case of human right violation.

On the other hand, India violated the terms of the agreement signed between India and J&K at the time of merger of the two Nations.

This is total violation of international protocol and shows India's obstinacy.

This is nothing but violation of the civil and political rights of the Kashmiri people.

This act of GoI is condemned by the right thinking people all over the world and more and more will support the struggle of Kashmiri people, reads the statement.

Today the temporary issues of difference and petty contradictions prevailing among 'our ethnos' have risen to an ugly antagonistic level due to self centred and ethno-exclusive aspirations which give a manoeuvring space to the divide and rule policy of the 'enemy'.

"This internal contradiction amongst our indigenous people is a stumbling block in shaping a united struggle against our common enemy and such, all our struggles and efforts went in vain and fall into the enemy's ultimate trap", it continued.

Ethno-exclusive liberation struggles of a few ethnic groups in the past could gain nothing; resulting to ultimate surrender to the enemy.

How the Mizo struggle for an independent Mizoram ended in a stupor after compromising with India; and the present condition of the 70 years old Naga struggle fragmenting into number of groups which have already fallen into India's peace-talk traps denouncing sovereignty and independence for which so many daring Nagas have become patriots, are stark examples, it said.

"Therefore, UNLF firmly believes that all our oppressed, indigenous people of WESEA should unite with a common strategy and fight a united struggle against our common enemy so that we gain in our collective political and military strength, and our struggle is sure to fructify", it asserted.

The policy of seeking solutions on ethnic lines for ethno-exclusive aspirations is a death trap used by India and hence this will be great blunder on the part of indigenous struggles to proceed along parochial ethnic lines, it cautioned.

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