MANPAC questions future of India-North East relation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 12 2019: Taking serious note of the Government of India's persistent drive for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016 in spite of the vehement objections raised throughout the North East region, the MANPAC has questioned New Delhi how and under what modality the North East region would co-exist with India.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, MANPAC core committee member and UCM president Sunil Karam remarked that the North East has been literally burning since the CAB 2016 was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8.Even though the Bill could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today as pandemonium rocked the Upper House twice, there is a strong apprehension that the Bill would be tabled tomorrow definitely, Sunil said.

Appealing to all the people to carry on the mass protest movement until the Bill is fully withdrawn, he urged all sections of people to come out to the streets and protest against the Bill tomorrow too.

By imposing curfew and blocking internet data service, the State Government has imposed an undeclared emergency in the State.

Whether the NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees the peoples of the North East region as equals to citizens of other regions of the country would be known from their decision regarding CAB 2016, Sunil Karam said.

He went on to question the Government of India how India and the people of the North East can live together.

Pointing out that the ongoing civil protest movement is aimed at protecting the common interests of all the people of Manipur and stake holders including the State Government and security personnel, he demanded an immediate halt to excesses committed by police personnel on protesters.

Reminding that it was the massive and intensive mass civil movement which forced the Government of India to remove the phrase 'without territorial limit' from the cease fire agreement it signed with NSCN-IM in 2001, the UCM president called upon all the people to carry on the ongoing civil movement even after the Bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha.

He reiterated that the ongoing protest movement would be relaxed for essential services, religious functions and press/media.

AMUCO president and MANPAC core committee member Ph Deban said that there is an irreconcilable conflict between the Government of India's push for the CAB 2016 and the vehement objection raised against it by peoples of the North East region.

The ongoing civil movement against the Bill is a democratic movement.

If the Government of India truly respects universal democratic principles and the freedom of expression, they ought to listen to the collective voice of the North East people, Deban said.

"If, on the contrary, the Government of India passes the Bill, the North East region would snap all ties with India and the Government of India must not call us separatists in such a scenario because we are made separatists forcibly by the way New Delhi has been dealing with the people of the North East region", he continued.

Since many decades back, the Government of India has been unleashing all types of repressive measures in the region by imposing several draconian laws.

It is the people of Manipur who face the gravest threats from CAB 2016 as they do not enjoy any kind of Constitutional safeguard, he said.

New Delhi's vigorous push for CAB 2016 amidst the Manipuri people's collective struggle to check influx only exposes its hegemonic attitude.

"Under such situation, we have no option other than seeking self-rule.

It is in the hands of the Government of India whether Manipuri people must seek self-rule or not", Deban asserted.

He then appealed to all the people to be prepared to take a collective and final decision in case the Bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha too.

Saying that it's time to expose the double-standard of the Government of India, the AMUCO president further appealed to all political parties of the State to stand united and fight collectively against the Bill, after leaving aside all differences.

He further warned that all those people who support the Bill would be taken as enemies of the people of Manipur.

UCM secretary general and another member of MANPAC core committee Khuraijam Athouba said that the State Government must act like its Mizoram counterpart on CAB 2016 if its claim of representing people's collective wish is true.

Like the Mizoram Government, the State Government should not pose any hindrance to the people's movement against the Bill, he said.

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