The outfit asserted that the celebration is a deception to create an illusion of freedom in the minds of the people.
TFM Desk
The proscribed outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) urged the people of Kangleipak (Manipur) to stay away from the state government’s celebration of the 50th statehood day on January 21, while asserting that the celebration is a deception to create an illusion of freedom in the minds of the people. The people should be against it, it added.
PREPAK, in a release, maintained Manipur with a history of over 2,000 years gained independence on August 14, 1947 after remaining as a Protectorate State under the British and was never a part of India at any point of time.
India annexed Manipur on September 21, 1949, after then Maharaja of Manipur Bodhchandra was forced to sign the ‘Merger Agreement’ at Shillong. After remaining as a Part C state and union territory, Manipur attained statehood on January 21, 1972.
PREPAK also accused India of continuing the colonial tactics and policies of the British and depriving the rights of the people of Manipur. After annexing Manipur, an ‘Asiatic Sovereign State’, instead of respecting the history of the land, India has been trying to destroy the culture, its people and undermine the level of administration Manipur had, the release added.
“Different covert tactics are being used to make the people of the land forget that Manipur was once an Asiatic Sovereign Kingdom,” it added.
PREPAK also alleged that with the help of some “hired” scholars, India has been trying to rewrite the history of Manipur with an aim to link-up with that of mainland India. Efforts have been made to assimilate the culture, indigenous religion, tradition, etc of Manipur, it added.
Stating that India has been interfering with the way of life of the people of Manipur, PREPAK maintained that efforts have been made over a period of time to implant an idea that Manipur cannot survive without the help of India.
The outlawed outfit further said that the state government is being formed after conducting an election using money and muscle power with the help of Indian security forces and it is nothing but to create an illusion of elections conducted in independent countries. Selecting leaders of the legislators and council of ministers of national parties are all controlled by Delhi. Head of state and other institutions are given to either outsiders or thier like minded people, it added.
The release further said that the “Indianisation” process has severely affected the way of life of the people of Manipur. Efforts have been made to forcefully replace the indigenous religions, festivals, culture, tradition, fashion, etc with that of Hinduism, it alleged.
PREPAK also accused India of “forced assimilation” and maintained that in order to achieve it different forms of direct and indirect “wars” are being waged against the people of Manipur. Despite all the efforts, the people stand firmly against such designs and PREPAK will continue its revolutionary movement for the independence of Manipur along with the people.
The proscribed outfit also blamed the “colonial” education system of India, inherited by India, for producing youths who are after jobs, instead of coming up with ideas to find ways of self-sustaining avenues. Such a system has adversely affected the mindset of youths, it added.
Forgetting that Manipur used to be an independent economy, everyone is now after the funds from India. Many are running after some people who have been hypnotised by Indian politics, with the hope that they will gain some share by using any means, it added.
Criticising the Indian electoral system, PREPAK asserted that the practice has become a process of choosing a “master” by the “slaves” for a period of five years. And the sad part is that all the people of Manipur including youths and women are now beginning to think that it is their only option of survival, it added.
Mesmerised by the Indian electoral politics, it has reached to a point where enmity amongst father and son, brothers and sisters has led to the loss of lives. The rights for five years are being bargained with a meal. In the name of election, youths are being drowned in illicit substances, it said.
“What changes have been brought by the elections held after India annexed Kangleipak? Has the true essence of independence been felt by the people? This is nothing but a moth flying towards the flame,” the release stated.
PREPAK also warned people to be cautious of the rising number of COVID cases due to the Omicron variant amidst the intensifying election campaigns. Despite the observation by the Allahabad High Court to defer the election to the five states for one or two months, the government has decided to go ahead as per the original schedule. Such an attitude proves that India does not care about the lives of the people of Manipur, it asserted.