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Chairman of PREPAK’s Interim Council greets on 42nd Red Army Uprising Day

FILE PHOTO: PREPAK observing foundation day
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Maintaining that fellow countrymen are bearing the brunt of the colonial rule under the colonial master, India, Aheiba Angom said in his message that the national liberation movement of the people of Kangleipak has been continuing till today ever since India forcibly annexed Kangleipak in total contravention of the international laws.

TFM Desk

As Red Army, the armed unit of proscribed People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), marks its 42nd Uprising Day on 26 March 2022, Chairman of outfit’s Interim Council Aheiba Angom has extended revolutionary greetings to the fellow countrymen, other revolutionary organisations and their army units of Kangleipak and WESEA region.

Maintaining that fellow countrymen are bearing the brunt of the colonial rule under the colonial master, India, the chairman said in his message that the national liberation movement of the people of Kangleipak has been continuing till today ever since India forcibly annexed Kangleipak in total contravention of the international laws.

He stated that the two-day National Convention on the annexation of Kangleipak held in Imphal on October 28-29 in 1993 had dismissed the agreement signed between the then King of Kangleipak and the representative of Dominion of India on September 21, 1949 as illegal and having no constitutional validity. As a follow up stand, a two-day National Seminar on Human Rights held on December 8 to 9, 1994 resolved to disapprove the merger of Manipur to India in 1949. The 5th resolution of the National Seminar insisted the Government of India on providing the people of Kangleipak the right to self-determination, he added.

The chairman further said a huge public rally held at Pologround in Imphal on December 10 of 1994 resolved to strive for achieving the right of the people of Kangleipak to self-determination. In order to free the black Indians, A O Hume from amongst the white Sahebs set up the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885. A white woman, Annie Besant laid the foundation for the Indians to determine for themselves, he added.

Afterward, the Labour Party of Britain took the political decision for freedom of India in 1947, thus India became an independent country. So, if India respects human rights, it is still not that late for them to adopt a political decision on their own to free Kangleipak so as to bring about peace and tranquillity in the region for ever, he maintained. Only then, people of the world will praise India more. However, our people are still eagerly waiting for such an idea to come into the heads of the land greedy Indian leaders.

Stating that as per the Resolution No. 1514(XV) adopted in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of December 14, 1960, he asserted all peoples will have equal rights and Right to Self Determination (RSD), and there should be no military oppression or torture against them. Moreover, freedom of the people of a country cannot be deprived and the territorial integrity cannot be disturbed, he added.

The chairman observed Article 1 of both International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) of 1966 recognizes the rights of all peoples to self-determination, including the right to freely determine their political status, pursue their economic, social and cultural goals, and manage and dispose of their own resources. Though the International law provides this right, it is not easy to try to achieve this right as it invariably involves political hurdles, he opined.

Maintaining the first right of a distinct people is the right to self-determination, Aheiba Angom claimed that the right being pursued by the people of Kangleipak is this right. Not only provided by the UN Charter, but also Article 1 of both ICCPR-1966 and ICESCR-1966 provides this fundamental human right. India had also ratified the ICCPR-1966 on April 10, 1979 and it came into force on July 10, 1979. As per Article 40 of ICCPR-1966, the Government of India had to submit the third report on human rights on March 3, 1992, he said.

However, despite the Human Rights Committee, Geneva sending reminders on December 10, 1993 and on June 15, 1994, the Government of India still failed to do its mandatory duty, he added.

The chairman further observed that even though India had ratified the UN Charter agreeing that it will not interfere with the territorial integrity and political independence of free and sovereign nations, it continues to obliterate Kangleipak. The UN has not been apprised that there is no self-rule in Kangleipak. What’s happening in the region is armed conflict. Consequently, those who are presently imprisoned in the jails of Kangleipak and India are political prisoners and the International Committee of Red Cross ought to be allowed to meet them, he said.

Lamenting that books written since 1934 have distorted the history of Kangleipak wrongly introducing the people as the descendants of Babrubahan, Mukherjees and Pandeys, he said these distortions have created a misconception that the national liberation movement of Kangleipak is a separatist movement. However, Kangleipak had never become a part of India under proper international laws. Kangleipak never wishes to break an inch of India’s land. At the same time, Kangleipak’s land that was annexed forcibly by India should be given back without breaking an inch, he asserted.

Further, the chairman said even as many organisations have submitted representations to the UN regarding the human rights violations and other myriad issues prevailing in the region, the international body has noticed that there is a State called Kangleipak, of which freedom and human rights had been totally deprived. The so-called freedom provided by India to the people of Kangleipak is the freedom that the GoI allocates a few crores of rupees in the State budget and the occupation army can kill the people of the State at their whims. The world community has started asking what kind of peace, tranquillity and freedom can be brought about by imposing AFSPA 1958 to suppress the liberation movement and killing the innocent people at gunpoint, he observed.

Stating that as per Charter 11 of UNGA, 74 countries which were not self-ruled could be identified, said in due course, most of the countries have achieved independence under the guidance and supervision of the UN but 15 are yet to gain freedom. Unfortunately, Kangleipak, which ought to be included at the level of such countries, has not been able to do so as the UN has not been properly influenced by the ongoing freedom movement in Kangleipak.

For this drawback, people don’t have to blame the revolutionaries or vice versa or the history cannot be blamed. It’s all our responsibility. During the struggle for self-determination, freedom, development and equality waged by PREPAK for the past 40 years, the role taken by the Red Army for the people and the State is quite significant, he maintained.

Lauding the role taken by the Red Army during many battles fought valiantly against the IOF in Kangleipak and WESEA region for the liberation of our land and sacrifices made to win many battles, the chairman said with the firm determination of liberating our colonized land, in order to build a strong and united revolutionary movement, Revolutionary Joint Committee (RJC) and Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MNPF) were formed on various occasions, and Coordination Committee (CorCom) has been set up yet again to continue the flow of revolutionary movement toward the ocean called freedom.

All these could be done because of the people’s invaluable support and encouragement bestowed on the revolutionaries and the relentless and tireless courage and sacrifices of fraternal revolutionary organizations, he said.

Appealing to the Red Army men to firmly bear in mind that as long as the Red Army keep launching overt and covert offensives against the IOF, the chairman asserted that the hour of regaining our lost freedom and achieving the goal of our revolutionary movement is getting closer. Only this will enable us to regain our lost independence. There has never been a defeat of any revolutionary movement of a people in the history of mankind. What has been defeated is the only conceited colonialism, he added.

Maintaining that colonial master India has unleashed overt and covert strategies using its might to suppress and uproot the decades-old struggle for freedom in Kangleipak, he stated that knowing the changing scenario in the world, the Red Army men need to boldly sacrifice for the revolution.

While accepting that it is not an easy task to escape from the colonial noose and reclaim the lost independence and sovereignty of a colonized land, he asserted it will be possible only when all the people join the freedom struggle and make it a people’s struggle. When each of the Red Army men is committed and courageous, they will be able to lead our people. So, each of us must try to become dedicated, brave and genuine Red Army, he added.

Lastly, the chairman extended revolutionary salute to all martyrs, who laid down their lives in battles fought against the enemy for freedom, development and an egalitarian society, and in torture and oppression, fellow revolutionaries who are bearing pains in imprisonment and to all those who are leading an incapacitated and maimed life due to severe torture by the IOF.

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