TACT Hqs, 293 Bn of MPA, in the deep jungles of South East Manipur, May 17: The wiry figure says it all.

At 61, RK Sanayaima alias RK Meghen, can give a run for their money to anyone who has led a sedentary lifestyle and who are on the wrong side of 30.Clearly, he was physically much fitter than some of the bunch of senior Editors, correspondents, both print and electronic, who trekked through the treacherous terrain of the jungles in South East Manipur to meet him at the Tactical Headquarters of the 293 Bn of the Manipur Peoples' Army.

Mentally, the long years of waging a war against the Indian Government has not taken an inch of toll and this became quite evident as he spelt out the agenda of the UNLF during an interaction with the journalists.

Interacting with the media for the first time after the Indian security force launched Operation All Clear in 2003 and in the midst of the Parbung and Lungthulien rape allegations, Chairman of the United National Liberation Front, RK Sanayaima minced no words in asserting that Operation All Clear is a total wash out.

Speaking to a group of select Editors and correspondents of newspapers and TV channels at the Tactical Headquarters of the 293 Bn of the MPA somewhere in the deep jungles of South East Manipur, RK Sanayaima said, �Operation All Clear is a total failure.

Ever since the Indian security force launched its offensive in October 2003, about 45 battles have been fought.

We have been victorious in about 35 of the battles fought.

�The Indian Army are numerically superior to us and they have been using heavy artilleries including mounted guns but without much effect,� explained the UNLF chief and added, �Despite being quantitatively superior they do not have the motivation-no cause.

Once we attack them, they panic and we can see their morale in the battle fields.� Stressing on the driving force that has kept his men motivated, Sanayaima said, �We have a cause.

Indian security personnel do not have a cause.

On the other hand they are here to only continue their rule.� The UNLF Chairman also listed the terrain and the support of the local people as the primary reasons for his men to continue the fight undaunted.

�Militarily too our cadres are better trained than Indian jawans,� asserted RK Sanayaima and added that one drawback that the MPA cadres face is technology.

�We choose when we want to fight and we will continue to do this.

We have pulled back our cadres from some parts of Manipur as a tactical retreat but we can always strike back when we want,� asserted Sanayaima.

Since India has not been able to defeat the revolutionary movement, it has resorted to many tactics to malign the image of the UNLF, he said and added that the rape allegations at Parbung and Lungthulien is all hog wash.

�India is worried over the growing international support that the revolutionary movement has garnered and the rape allegation was cooked up to tarnish our image,� he said and added that the suggestion that the International Red Cross Society be roped in to conduct an impartial probe is proof of the stand of the UNLF.

�Lungthulien is not a place frequented by our cadres,� he informed.

Touching on the political vision of the UNLF, Sanayaima said that the UNLF looks forward to a State where there is, �Respect for each others' identity, co-existence and co-development; a system where every community can protect its own identity-autonomy for all at all level; a self reliant economy with emphasis on agro economy� The culture of each community is an asset to Manipur, he said and added �cultural influence from outside cannot be stopped, we should know what are our cultural values and people should be educated about their distinct culture.� Stating that UNLF has progressed since its formation in 1964, Sanayaima said, �Despite the set backs we suffered in 1969, 80/81 and 90/91, we have progressed militarily as well as politically.

We are militarily operating in the hill districts of Chandel, Ukhrul and Churachandpur and politically we have been mobilising the people to rise through the plebiscite call.

The plebiscite call is to empower the people to assert their democratic rights and this call will echo in the hills soon too.

We have introduced a political discourse through the plebiscite call.� All must acknowledge that there is a place called Manipur, said Sanayaima and added, �The Indo-Manipur conflict should be resolved through a UN sponsored plebiscite.

Other issues like Nagalim can be settled after the plebiscite.

The UNLF believes that once the Indo-Manipur conflict is resolved, no Nagas of Manipur would want a Nagalim.� On the oft repeated call for peace talks, Sanayaima was categorical when he stated, �We have not entered to a peace talk with the Government of India because no peace talk has been positive.

Peace has been only for the Government of India and not for the people.

The Naga struggle is once such example.

The peace talk between the IM group and the GoI cannot be called a peace talk.

There must be something concrete.

The IM group has stepped down from its earlier stand of sovereignty and is today talking about a federal relation with GoI.

Sovereignty has been compromised and instead of this the call for Nagalim is gaining ground.� On the much called for unity amongst the underground organisations, Sanayaima said that efforts are on to put the unity process on track.

The KCP has come under one roof and joint initiatives are bring taken to bring about unity, he asserted.

Talking on a number of other topics, the UNLF Chairman said, �We should be prepared for the Look East policy launched by the Government of India.

For this we need to develop our human resources.

Globalisation is a global phenomena that cannot be stopped.� Sounding a word of caution, Sanayaima said that the Look East policy could be an effort to wipe out the armed movements and to face the challenges ahead our human resources should be developed.

�Our human resources have been reflected in many fields.

Our culture and the exploits of our sportspersons reflect our innate strength.

This is what gives us hope.

If everyone put in their best effort in their chosen field (for the sake of the land) then we can achieve what we want.

It is this strength with which we can meet the challenges of globalisation� he said with a flourish.

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