Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 16 2009:
Reacting to the statement of GOC 57 Mountain Division Maj Gen Shakti Gurung that only people's wish can bring peace in the State, the proscribed UNLF has asked the GOC whether he had consulted leaders of the Government of India before he made the statement during the press meet held at Leimakhong garrison yesterday.
A press release issued by the outfit's senior publicity officer Ksh Yoiheiba further questioned as to why political leaders of India remained mute to the people's demand to resolve the Manipur-India conflict by plebiscite.
Since the day India allegedly robbed the people of Manipur of their right to self-determination on October 15, 1949, the Government of India has been allegedly subjugating the people of Manipur culturally, economically and socially besides taking recourse to various measures to assimilate the people of Manipur with India, it asserted.
Claiming that the people of Manipur are now able to wage a spirited liberation movement, the UNLF asserted that it is impossible to subjugate the liberation movement even as innumerable number of security forces are being deployed in Manipur.
Reminding that several predecessors of Maj Gen Gurung had conceded the impossibility of putting down the liberation movement with military force, the outfit questioned the audacity of the GOC claiming that security forces are being deployed in Manipur to bring peace in the State.
On the contrary security forces have been committing all kinds of excesses and killing people at will with impunity under several repressive laws like the infamous AFSPA, it alleged.
Accusing the security forces and their agents for the miseries and insecure situation being faced by the people, the outfit asserted that the security forces cannot hoodwink people by sending some children to other parts of India.
Such measures can never pay for the lives of Chanu Rose, Manorama and other victims who had fallen prey to security forces, it said.
Pointing out that people of the Northeastern region are often at the receiving end of different forms of racial abuse from the people of mainland India for their different look, culture and tradition while many women of the region, particularly students have been victimised by people of base morality belonging to mainland India .
Such treatment and attitude of the people of mainland India towards people of the region should not be lost on the mind of GOC Maj Gen Shakti Gurung, it added.