Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 16:
Reacting to the open question posed by the general secretary group of the PREPAK on January 12, the proscribed KYKL today said it does not have any report that cadres of the acting chairman of PREPAK have been posing themselves as members of KYKL.
Moreover there is also no formal agreement that the acting chairman's group will pose as members of the KYKL.
Setting the record straight, KYKL in a statement, however, admitted that it is not impossible for any armed cadres, especially cadres involved in factional fights to pose themselves as members of another outfit to survive or to find a place to take shelter.
Though no outfit may endorse such practices as their policy, such things should come as no surprise to anyone, given the ground situation in Manipur, which is home to a number of underground outfits.
Ignoring this will amount to not knowing the reality, it said.
KYKL however requested all concerned not to use its name.
The statement agreed that KYKL is close to the group led by the acting chairman.
However small, the KYKL has extended some help to the group led by the acting chairman and likewise the KYKL has also received some help from the acting chairman group of PREPAK.
However this does not mean that the KYKL is taking side in the internal conflict of the PREPAK, asserted the statement and added that KYKL has no hand in the infighting within the PREPAK.
Far from aiding the infighting, it is the firm belief of the KYKL that all should endeavour to try and patch up the differences and stop internecine killings.
When eleven cadres of the acting chairman were killed at Kumbi in 2003, KYKL had strongly urged for restraint and requested the acting chairman not to retaliate, said the statement.
The KYKL greeted the news with joy when it was announced that the PREPAK had patched up their internal differences.
Explaining why the KYKL is close to the acting chairman's group, the statement said that though there is no formal agreement between PREPAK and the KYKL, there have always been a close rapport between the leaders of the two groups, dating back to the days before the KYKL was formed.
The relationship was personal as well as at the organisation level and as such both sides used to help out each other many times.
KYKL has received tremendous help from PREPAK and this is much more than what PREPAK has received from KYKL.
The help covers all aspects including arms, providing shelter and financial help.
As such the acting chairman of PREPAK, Nongdren Khomba is one of the closest allies of the KYKL, said the statement.
Though KYKL may not be as close to the general secretary as it is close to the acting chairman, KYKL is close to some the cadres under the group led by the general secretary.
The KYKL became closer to the acting chairman because they shared the same camps and shelter from 2003, explained the statement.
Since the meeting was frequent it invariably meant discussing each other's problems, said KYKL and added that the acting chairman invited the KYKL for some serious talks.
A that point of time, KYKL did not have any idea of the internal differences within PREPAK, asserted the statement.
Matter only became clear after about 2/3 months adding that the situation by then had reached the point of no return.
Since the relationship between the KYKL and the acting chairman had struck deep roots, KYKL thought it was not morally right to disown the long friendship and instead opted for to look for avenues to patch up the differences and tried to do it too.
This must also be in the knowledge of the general secretary.
It is not in the principle of KYKL to snap the bond of ties because of the internal rift within PREPAK, reasoned the statement and added that there is also no ground to snap the tie.
This tie however does not mean that KYKL has taken sides adding that it has been urging all to restrain themselves and stop the internecine fights.
KYKL still remembers the time when the two factions of PREPAK patched up in 1994-95, added the statement.
The general secretary should not suspect the motive of the KYKL at all, said the statement and reminded all that when the MPLF was formed in 1999 KYKL and the UNLF were at war with each other.
At that point of time, KYKL never saw PREPAK as siding with the UNLF, added the statement.
Likewise, the general secretary group too should not harbour any suspicion towards the KYKL for being close to the acting chairman, said the statement.
KYKL and UNLF stopped the internecine killings at the intervention of PREPAK, reminded the statement.
This itself shows that PREPAK joined the MPLF not because it was against the KYKL.
This lesson should no be lost on anyone and likewise the close ties that the KYKL maintains with the acting chairman group should not be seen as being against the general secretary.
KYKL will not take part in any internecine killings, said the statement reminded all that this was the doctrine enunciated by PREPAK earlier.
When the KYKL was at loggerheads with the UNLF, the leadership of PREPAK had advised the KYKL to look for ways to stop the killings as it would not serve the purpose of anyone.
The appeal of PREPAK was taken in the right spirit, though it had teamed up with UNLF under the MPLF, said the statement.