Imphal, January 21 2010: Reacting to such comments as 'started with a bang and ended in a whimper' as written in newspapers regarding the decision of the Apunba Lup, the two JACs and AMSU-MSF-KSA to suspend the first phase of the post July 23, 2009 mass movement, the Apunba Lup has set the record straight.

A statement issued by the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup asserted that the protest movement against the July 23 killings is not yet over.

Only some leeway has been given so that the CBI can do its work.

In case the CBI comes up a contorted report with a motive to condone relevant authorities and those directly involved in the killing against the people's understanding and photographic evidences, the Apunba Lup would launch a more intense movement.

Going to the roots of the change in its position, the Apunba Lup recalled that in the course of the six months long agitation, the Government used maximum military force.

Many leaders of the movement were arrested and imprisoned.

Rather than challenging the excesses of the State, people slowly started withdrawing from the movement.

The Apunba Lup, because of its own weakness, could not mobilise people to intensify the movement.

Although there were many people/groups who believed that the movement was necessary and justified, they stayed away from involving themselves in the movement.

Just as the movement was weakening, the three student bodies launched the class boycott movement infusing a new life and carrying forward the movement for quite a long time.

At this stage, many groups in the name of students' career but actually collaborating with the State Government started raising anti-movement voice like 'call off class boycott' etc.

Such voices, though unsuccessful in breaking off the movement, weakened the movement by creating confusion among the mass who believed in the movement.

Reiterating that the movement is not yet over even though the current phase has been suspended following an MoU signed with the Government, the Apunba Lup claimed that the hand over of the July 23 case to CBI was a fruit of the people's movement.

If the so called elected Government is really concerned for the people, it would have constituted a powerful court of enquiry or handed over the case to CBI directly instead of harassing the people for 4/5 months.

But being a Government protective of killers in the name of fighting insurgents, it pushed the people into a sea of misery for 4/5 months.

The Government handed over the case to CBI only when it could not find any escape route.

In addition to the CBI investigation, another positive achievement of the movement was that it exposed the alleged anti-democratic and anti-people characteristics of the State Government to the entire world, the Apunba Lup asserted.

The six months long movement was a part of the continuous movement like the anti-AFSPA movement being undertaken by the people to save the nation.

The Government committed all kind of excesses like brutal assault, indiscriminate use of tear gas shells, rubber bullets and real bullets upon protesters to subdue the people's movement.

Not only that, many protesters were arrested and imprisoned under National Security Act.

In some cases, parents were detained when the Government could not pull up their protester sons and daughters.

The class boycott movement launched with the understanding that right to life is more important that right to education caused great pain to the Government.

Several overt and covert means were employed to neutralise the class boycott movement.

The Apunba Lup took serious note of the appeals made by different sections to bring a solution to the protracted impasse in the interest of the suffering people, particularly student community.

Had the people stood together for the cause of justice, it would have been more successful in teaching a lesson to the Government for its anti-people disposition.

This may be taken as a lesson for future civil movements.

The hand over of the case to CBI at a time when people were facing several difficulties following the prolonged movement provided an opportunity to take a breather to the people as well as to resume normal classes.

Considering all these factors, the Apunba Lup believed that temporary suspension of the movement would give a chance to build up strength for more forceful movements later.

It was not only the Government which made all efforts to suppress the movement.

Many self proclaimed people's organisations made secret and open attempts to weaken the movement.

It did not came as a surprise when those people and organisations who schemed to jeopardise the movement tried to highlight the Apunba Lup in the wrong light even after the movement was suspended albeit temporarily.

Feeding contorted reports to media houses presenting the JACs and the Apunba in bad light and news reports implicating the JACs as having accepted money were most unfortunate.

It was really shameful.

It appealed to the people to identify those individuals, groups and political parties who tried to misled the people by declaring that 'no support would extended to any movement spearheaded by the Apunba Lup in future'.

Accusing these individuals/groups of being anti-social, it called upon the people to always keep in mind that some individuals/groups are always out there always scheming to weaken and derail mass movements.

It pointed out that the MoU signed between the Apunba Lup and the JACs and the Government consisted of point about extension of assistance to family members of Rabina and other who sustained injuries in the July 23 incident.

However, the modalities of providing the assistance should be decided by the Govt, JACs and the individuals concerned.

There is no question of the Apunba Lup interfering in the matter.

The main focus of the Apunba Lup in the MoU was the point related to CBI investigation, it added.

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