KYKL Chairman Oken espouses unification
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 24 2015 :
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) Chairman N Oken has categorically stated that if there is no unification among the revolutionary groups of WESEA, there cannot be victory.
A statement issued by the Chairman on the occasion of the outfit's 21st raising day (April 25) dwelt on the process of ethnic mobilization and the types of nationalism prevalent in this part of the world.
The Chairman also conveyed best wishes to the people of WESEA region and all fraternal revolutionary parties of the region.
WESEA region is more or less coterminous with the so-called North East India cartographically and it is now a colony of imperialistic Indian union.
The main thrust of Indian policy in this region is cultural assimilation and ethnic harmonization of the diverse and distinct peoples of WESEA with the mainland Indians, alleged foreigners in the eyes of peoples of the region.
It is nothing less than ethnocide of the communities in WESEA, bloodless genocide through assimilation, Oken alleged.
Armed struggle is the response of almost all communities in this region to this form of colonialism.
But success of this liberation struggles depend on the ability of revolutionary parties of WESEA to unite among themselves and put up a unified struggle, conducted under a comprehensive political and military strategy.
History of these 60 years old armed struggles shows that without unity our struggles will remain as it has been, added the KYKL leader.
Revolutionary leaders show signs of believing in this truth and they have been trying to bring about unity but with little or insignificant success.
The main obstacle to the path of unification is the clash of nationalism prevailing at present in the region.
Ethnic landscape of this region is a mosaic of communities and peoples of different ethnic identities.
Almost all the communities in question have their own ethnic nationalisms.
Their political response to Indian colonial juggernaut and scramble for larger share of the cake bestowed by colonial administration spur the rise of this form of nationalism.
On the other hand, civic or territorial form of nationalism is also available in this part of the world.
The region is divided into a number of administrative units called provincial States to cater to political and administrative demands.
Some of these provincial States have long histories of having attained the status of established Nationhood.
The first model of clash of nationalisms prevalent in this region is the clash of these two forms of nationalisms, that is, between the brands of ethnic and territorial nationalisms.
Another form of clash are the clashes among ethnic nationalisms.
All types of clashes are manifested perceptibly in territorial claims and counter-claims.
These territorial claims and counter-claims are the tallest and largest hurdles stalling the process of unification of revolutionary parties.
If the leadership cannot overcome these impediments, there is no possibility for unification.
"One irrefutable truth of our revolutionary politics is that if there is no unification, there cannot be victory", the Chairman asserted.
These territorial claims and counter-claims have firm and logical grounds, if viewed from different perspectives.
Contradictory perspectives engender contradictory ideological logics and conflicting political dynamics.
So, the clashes of these nationalisms are inevitable, if stake-holders continue to cherish their own irreconcilable perspectives.
When outlooks change, the clashes can be reined in.
If the nationalisms, both ethnic and territorial, are subsumed under the supra-nationalism of WESEA, these clashes can be transcended.
This transcendence will solve the problems of clashes of nationalism, paving a smooth way for unification.
Suppression of the prevailing ethnic and territorial nationalisms by a form of supra-nationalism or neo-nationalism of WESEA is the panacea of most of the ailments of the present liberation movement.
"If Nations are supposed to be 'imagined communities', why can't we imagine WESEA? Imagination of WESEA has concrete foundations, ethnological, linguistic, historical, political, economic and social", Oken said.
He continued, "Even if Nationalism in general is claimed to be an 'invented doctrine', the supra-Nationalism of WESEA is not invented out of thin air.
The Nationalism of WESEA is the 'spirit of the age' of present WESEA.
"We request the people of WESEA region to mull over this humble proposition and refine our line of thinking", Oken concluded.
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