Imphal, July 11: Taking strong exception against the charges and allegations levelled against it by the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation and published in the July 6 editions of the newspapers, the United Committee Manipur said that it has been constrained to lay the bare facts and let the people decide.

Refuting the charges of AMUCO, UCM in a statement said that it has never given any wrong statement with regard to the June 18 uprising.

On the issue of AMSU issuing its own clarification, UCM said that thought it was a constituent part of the UCM earlier, it had withdrawn from the membership on May 2, 2005 .

The statement explained that this was because AMSU is a student organisation and has its own numerous calendar programme.

UCM explained that it has been opening its branches all over because the ultimate aim and objective is to make UCM the apex organisation, which is its constitutional right.

When the UCM was first formed, the three convenors included Sapamcha Jadumani from IPSA, Udoi Thongam from AMUCO and Kh Ratan from UPF.

All the decisions were taken with the concurrence of all the convenors though there might have been instances, when after agreeing on a decision, Udoi of AMUCO may have been told by his organisation that they do not like the decision.

This may have irked the AMUCO.

After the June 18 incident a decision to cremate all the 18 martyrs at Kekrupat was adopted, though AMUCO was against it.

This might have disappointed AMUCO, added UCM.

The statement went on to say that AMUCO has now unwittingly spelt out the truth.

Earlier, the people were led to believe that AMUCO solely was behind the general strike called from midnight of June 15, 2001 till evening of June 18.AMUCO has now admitted that there was a meeting on June 15 held at its Kwakeithel Moirangpurel which was attended by representatives of other organisations, including Yumnamcha Dilipkr and H Ibotombi of IPSA.

Sapamcha Jadumani was also present.

Representatives of AMSU, AMKIL, NIPCO and UPF could not attend the meeting as another meeting was being held on the said day at AMSU headquarters, said UCM and added that this was conveyed to AMUCO.

UCM was formed on July 3 during a meeting held at the residence of Sapamcha Jadumani at Pishumthong Oinam Leikai, said the statement and added that Udoi Thongam of AMUCO was present at the said meeting.

To the charges that UCM was formed after the 'battle', the statement said that when it was formed the cease fire was yet to be revoked from Manipur.

The truce was revoked from the State only on July 27, it reminded.

AMUCO left the UCM because it did not want to be part of a united group, asserted the statement and added that even after AMUCO broke away, UCM had sent its members many times to AMUCO's office to reverse its decision.

It is AMUCO which does not believe in unity.

The statement also cited a number of instances in the past to claim that AMUCO never believed in unity.

Outlining the reason why UCM was keen on constructing the memorial site of the 18 martyrs at Kekrupat, the statement said that the importance of saving the land was felt 20 years before AMUCO was born.

To save it from private encroachers and preserve it as a historical site, the then organisation Poramlen Apunba with Sapamcha Jadumani as president Yumnamcha Dilipkr as general secretary had organised a residential camp with 350 volunteers and cleaned the water body at Kekrupat.

The setting up of martyrs complex there is part of the plan to save Kekrupat, said UCM.

Refuting the charge of the AMUCO that Jadumani had tried to encroach on Kekrupat, UCM asked AMUCO what documents they are referring to.

In the real document submitted to the Revenue Minister of the State Government dated 2/12/2002, the tenth line in the second paragraph reads, 'In memory of the martyrs, UCM have decided to develop the above place as memorial complex, said the statement.

It just happened that Jadumani as the then president of UCM signed the application.

Rubbishing the claim of AMUCO that UCM intends to turn Kekrupat into its office, the statement said that the construction work of its office at Lamphel while it presently occupying the office of Freedom as its office.

The ugly incident that occurred on June 18 this year at Kekrupat was pre-planned by AMUCO to defile the place, it charged.

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