“The slogan “bringing back to mainstream” used by the colonial regime is not only insulting the liberation struggle but also an attempt to destroy the true character of our struggle. The slogan is an attempt to treat our struggle as internal problem of India,” said Irengbam Chaoren
TFM Desk
Proscribed Revolutionary People’s Front President has no intention to enter into Peace Talks with India, said its president Irengbam Chaoren.
Maintaining that “India’s strategy of Peace-Talks aims at making the revolutionaries disarm or immobile thereby losing the real character and capacity of a revolutionary”, he alleged that many of the revolutionary groups of WESEA, who have entered into Peace-Talks with India are now in a situation of between “the Scylla and Charybdis”.
In his message issued to mark RPF’s 43rd Foundation Day, which is observed as Independence Demand Day by the banned outfit, Chaoren said, “History is testimony to this fact. We have seen the failed process of Peace-Talks and agreements fallen apart. We have seen the 9 Point Agreement of 1947, 16 Point Agreement of 1960 and the 1975 Shillong Accord between India and Naga revolutionary and more than six years old Framework Agreement, are meant to trade Naga’s freedom with some material benefits.”
“Likewise, Mizoram Accord of 1986 and TNV Tripartite Accord of 1988 were the agreements that had destroyed the idea of freedom. Besides, India has snatched away the special autonomy enjoyed by the people of Jammu & Kashmir and kept the region in semi-military rule,” he added.
Under such a situation it is not possible to achieve freedom through peace talks particularly in the WESEA region which India treats as their enemy by enforcing AFSPA and other draconian laws, he said.
Alleging that India harbours the intention of colonising even the independent neighbouring countries under the vision of “Akhand Bharat”, Chaoren said it is hard to believe that freedom of Manipur will be achieved through peace-talks or political dialogue. Recently a BJP leader against the backdrop of the incident of burning down some Hindu temples in Bangladesh commented India could have annexed Bangladesh in 1971, when India had defeated Pakistan and still if India has the intention, it could annex Bangladesh anytime. There is no reason for not to consider such a fact and rethink wisely when there is an offer of peace-talks with India, he added.
Reasserting that historically Manipur had never been a part of India, Chaoren said it is only within the span of 70 years and Manipur became a part of India, that too, against the wishes of the people. There is no reason that people of Manipur should remain contented and happy to be part of India as Manipur was forcibly annexed to India by humiliating and insulting the sovereign right of our king, he added.
Dubbing those who consider Manipur becoming as part of India an inevitable part in the evolution of Geo-political process and it as necessary for the development and prosperity of Manipur, as lumpen elements, the proscribed outfit ‘s leader said, “These lumpen elements by taking part in the Indian electoral process not only make themselves a puppet but also work hard to tarnish or destroy our independent political history by helping the alien rule in various ways.”
The statement also said some elements are helping to strengthen colonial forces and working against the wishes of freedom loving people of our land. They treated their own people as their enemy. Their Self-deceiving character of showing themselves real Indian and wholeheartedly helping towards the assimilation of our people within the fold of India have only strengthened the colonial regime. Taking the advantage of this situation, the colonial regime insulted or humiliated our liberation struggle and revolutionaries, he added.
Observing that they consider revolutionaries as misguided ones, the statement said it is evident from the slogan “bringing back to mainstream” used by the colonial regime. “This slogan is not only insulting the liberation struggle but also an attempt to destroy the true character of our struggle. The slogan is an attempt to treat our struggle as an internal problem of India,” it added.
He claimed that “though India has occupied Manipur, the love of freedom which we have nourished in our heart cannot be occupied. It was the love of freedom that our forefathers had fought the mighty British Empire in 1891 even though the defeat was inevitable. It was because of this spirit that there was no intention to surrender even after the defeat.”
“The liberation struggle that we are waging against Indian colonialism has not seen any defeat, so there is no question of trading Manipur’s freedom by entering peace-talks with India,” he added.
Chaoren said RPF believes in the collective independent struggle by uniting all the communities of Manipur irrespective of religion, ethnicity, languages and race.
Raising concerns about Covid-19 pandemic, Chaoren said it poses a great challenge and danger to humanity as a whole in a new form and variant. He appealed to the public to follow the SOPs given by the experts. He also stressed that the government also needs to formulate the appropriate strategy to stop the spread of pandemic.