Imphal, July 30: Gearing up for the 10th Integrity Day observation on August 4 at THAU ground, Imphal, the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has appealed to the people to take part in the observance.

A statement issued by the AMUCO asserted that peaceful co-existence based on equitable development will be able to bring about a prosperous Manipur and this will be the theme of the August 4 Integrity Day observance.

AMUCO noted that the unprecedented people's movement of August 4, 1997 will be remembered in history as a landmark event which ignited subsequent mass movements to preserve integrity of Manipur.

After a joint resolution was adopted on the historic day to preserve the integrity of Manipur by the united strength of all the people, the Organising Committee for Territorial Integrity of Manipur (OCTIM) was constituted on August 17 of the same year which took up further movements for the same cause with the help of social organisations and the people, recalled AMUCO.

The historic people's movement of August 4, 1997 and the most significant resolution adopted on the occasion was an indirect outcome of the people becoming to realise that the integrity of Manipur and its people can be preserved only by the united strength of its people and not by the legislators who got elected after spending crores of rupees.

The evil design of the Government of India as manifested in the Bangkok Declaration signed with a faction of NSCN on June 14, 2001 was defeated by the united strength of the people, albeit after bloodshed and loss of precious lives, AMUCO noted.

It further asserted that continued imposition of the infamous Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958, giving a free hand to security forces to commit excesses of varying degrees and silence of the State Government in the face of their extra-judicial activities are all clear testimonies to the fact the Manipuris are seen as inferior sub-humans to both the Union Government and their security forces.

Interestingly, the unrestrained power given to security forces by the State Government had humiliated and victimised Ministers, for they too are Manipuris too.

Reiterating that Manipur can be protected only by the united strength of the people, AMUCO called upon the people of Manipur to stand firm and collectively so as to defeat the alleged diabolic divide and rule policy of the Union Government.

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