Imphal, November 23: The Central Committee of the UNLF besides greeting the people of Manipur on the occasion of its 42nd foundation day has also issued its annual statement, addressing a gamut of issues and highlighting its ideologies and beliefs to the people.

On the occasion of 42nd Foundation Anniversary of our Party, the UNLF Central Committee salutes and convey our Party�s revolutionary greetings to all our compatriots who have suffered all along inhuman repression under Indian rule.

With gratitude to all, we present herewith our Central Committee�s �Annual Statement 2006�. 1. The Pioneers: In the wake of the forcible annexation of Manipur by the Dominion of India in 1949, patriotic individuals grouped together to establish the UNLF on 24 November 1964 with the objective of restoring Manipur�s sovereign independence by waging a national liberation struggle against India.

The social goal of UNLF is to build a socialist society wherein all the ethnic nationalities of Manipur shall live in harmonious coexistence and co-development in a new, united, sovereign and independent �Manipur�.

The UNLF has also a regional outlook that believes in the basic unity of the Region inhabited by many ethnic nationalities and that this reality compels the Region to fight together to overthrow Indian rule for a common future of peace, progress and development.

Prominent among Manipur�s pioneer revolutionaries who believed in Manipur�s sovereign independence and founded the UNLF to liberate Manipur from Indian colonial occupation were late Oja Kalanlung Kamei (Founder President), late Oja Thongkhopao Singsit (Founder Vice-President), late �Tamohal� Arambam Somarendra (Founder General Secretary), late Dr Longjam Manimohan (Hills Organisation), late veteran Laishram Kanhai (Central Committee member), late �Tamo� Nongmeikapam Sanajaoba (Youth Organisation and Founder Editor of Lamyanba monthly journal), and recently departed people�s singer late �Tamo� Nongmaithem Pahari (First Chief of Army Staff).

There were many prominent citizens who cherished the sovereign independence of Manipur but could not involve themselves physically in the liberation struggle.

Prominent among such patriots are the first Chief Minister of independent Manipur late Maharajkumar Priyabarta, the first pioneer of body-building culture in Manipur late Sagolsem Oja Indramani (Thangmeiband Khuyathong), veteran cultural worker late Puyam Oja Muhori (Kha Jiri), the man who popularised Manipur to the world through our dance late Rajkumar Priyogopalsana (Thangmeiband), the man who untiringly contributed in building grassroots organisation of the UNLF late Ningthamcha �Yambung� Kulasana (Sanngakpham, Imphal), and late Laisram Manaobi, the man who contributed so much of his wealth in propagating Meetei culture, particularly the Meetei Mayek.

Yet another prominent pioneer is Oja Yangmasho Shaiza, who along with late Sagolsem Oja Indramani founded the Manipur Nationalist Revolutionary Party (MNRP) in 1952 and launched a democratic struggle to restore Manipur�s sovereign independence.

Following the suppression of the social revolution led by the first revolutionary leader of Manipur Hijam Irabot by India, the unarmed democratic struggle of the MNRP also could not sustain after the arrest of the two leaders.

However, that was the first ever struggle to have sown the ideological seed of today�s vibrant national liberation struggle.

Although compelled by circumstances to take up some other profession in later life, their political ideology for restoration of Manipur�s independence gradually took firm roots in our society to assume the dimension of today�s liberation struggle.

The UNLF Central Committee, on the occasion of our Party�s 42nd anniversary, offers our homage and salute to all the aforementioned pioneer patriots for the path they have shown for our liberation.

The UNLF is their gift entrusted with the task for fighting for the freedom of our society, for the independence of our Motherland and for liberation of all the nationalities of Manipur.

2. Message to our Ethnic Compatriots: �Co-existence of all the ethnic communities� inhabiting together in Manipur for several centuries is the most important message left by the pioneer patriots mentioned above.

On the basis of the above outlook, the UNLF firmly believes that all the ethnic communities of Manipur should coexist together in an independent country having autonomy at all levels, respecting one another�s distinct identities and all the communities, particularly the smaller ethnic groups, enjoying the right to preserve and develop their distinctive identities.

With this principled stand, the UNLF wishes to renew the message of �Coexistence and Codevelopment� to all our ethnic compatriots.

The import of this message is to join together in the world�s race for development so as to be able to coexist, and to build the united strength of coexistence so as to be able to become a part of the development race.

The UNLF earnestly believes that there is no alternative, other than this path, for the survival of each and every one of us.

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