The proscribed outfit said the strongest weapon that makes it appear to be freedom by fooling the people of this land is the Election. It also said the one and only objective of Hindustan to set up the Loktak Project was to destroy the self-sustaining economy of Kangleipak and turn it into a captive market.
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The proscribed outfit also said most farmers do not have their own land to cultivate; they depend on other’s land for agriculture. Real owners have constructed infrastructure in the fertile fields in the name of development in such a manner that no production can be made ever again from the fields. Despite legislation having been passed, such constructions cannot be stopped. Most of the paddy field owners are the ones who can influence the law makers and the legislation. There is not enough power to use the hill land.
The Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 and Article 371C of Constitution of India stand as a big fence between the hills and the valley. This creates a hurdle in building unity and strength between the hills and the valley. Hills think differently and valley thinks differently. Thus factional mindset comes to the fore and disables inclusive growth and building united efforts to face any challenge, it added.
It further said the economy of the State has worsened as the pristine environment has been constantly spoiled in the name of development and improvement of economy. This has caused loss of the unique identity of the indigenous communities raising the question how long the Kanglei people would be able to survive preserving their own identity. It’s not possible for a State to advance without development.
“However, what we must carefully look at is the hidden aggression by Hidustan (India) into our political, social and economic health. Kangleipak is basically an agrarian land. Economy of the land is based on agricultural products. Looking at the history of the economy of this land, since the early days till the period of independence, the agricultural products of Kangleipak used to be not only sufficient for its people but also used to be exported to the neighboring countries,” it added.
“But since the Loktak Project was commissioned in 1983, the Ithai Barrage water had submerged 83,450 hectares of paddy fields compelling the people of Kangleipak to depend on others for food. This has not only severely affected the economy of our motherland but also given adverse impact on the social and political conditions leaving unity and integrity of the State in a chaotic situation,” it alleged.
‘The Loktak Project is nothing but only loss for Kangleipak’
Stating that the Loktak Project is nothing but only loss for Kangleipak, the outfit said the revenue collected from the sale of electricity generated by the Project before 2014 was just Rs 21 crore annually whereas the amount of income that could be collected from the agricultural produce of the vast land that had been submerged by the Project is nearly Rs 100 crore. The situation, according to the proverb, is an act of “penny wise, pound foolish.”
Now it is very clear that the one and only objective of Hindustan to set up the Loktak Project was to destroy the self-sustaining economy of Kangleipak and turn it into a captive market for good. The question that arises here is how the so-called leaders—elected representatives of the State granted permission for taking up the Project without properly discussing the consequences in advance, it added.
The outfit asserted that to the farmers, exchanging their fields with electricity is not justifiable. That step has ruined the economy of the farmers and the environment. The only purpose of the Project was to pluck off the stomach of the people and turn them into beggars while strengthening colonial rule.
Unable to bear any longer the pains in terms of economy and environment caused by the artificial inundation resulting from the Ithai Barrage, the people of the affected areas have been demanding for a long time in a democratic manner to decommission the Project. But Hindustan has been suppressing the people’s legitimate demand. Unless and until the people take the issue ahead at the earliest, people’s economic and ethnic identity will be lost, it said.
‘Arrival of train and development of the highways not for benefit of people’
The most precious object of the people is to keep the erstwhile sense of patriotism intact. People used to survive only on the products available on the soil of the land. Once people used to keep their eyes on the fields as they lived on the crops grown in the fields, but now since all the means to survive had been wiped out, attention has been drawn toward the commodities being brought in on the highways, it said.
The outfit further said, the arrival of the train and development of the highways is not at all for the benefit of the people. It is just to create a facility for draining out the products available underground, over ground and forests in the State to Hindustan. All the development works being taken up are meant for their own benefits.
It also asserted that the most important factors necessary in making a free nation are people and land. When people exist, land must exist too. Without land, people cannot exist. Yet when there are people, land may naturally exist in due course. Israel is the right example, it said.
Without knowing my own and others’ land, just learning by rote a thick book on the theories that had brought big changes in the world will not achieve the goal. The number of Indigenous population, who should be spearheading and making bigger sacrifices in every major issue, is drastically declining. No step is taken to curb the fall in population, which is the fountain head of all strength. This has made the community a sapped community today, it said.
The outfit alleged no inquiry is made as to how the people of this land are settling and how much change has been brought in. After occupation by Hindustan, the family planning policy that was taken up has become the grave for the society.
Stating that creating factional history and division of ethnic groups that disables building united strength has become a trend among the Kanglei races today, the statement said it has been long since community based histories have been developed midway and indulging in factional and communal politics. This makes way for a kind of political system that cannot integrate the land. Such politics, aimless election and accompanying issue of drug gangs could not rear their ugly heads during the period between 1980 and 2000 when the sounds of gunfire of the war for liberation were heard quite often, it added.
‘Most state youths unable to know Kangleipak
Admitting there is no guarantee that the ongoing struggle for liberation is going to end today or tomorrow, the outfit said it has become essential to take up various activities to save the society, which is almost on the brink of hopelessness, to bring about changes while engaging in the struggle for liberation side by side.
Among such activities, promoting a number of people who know very well about Kangleipak is one. It is essential to bring out many persons who know thoroughly about the history, geography, social and sentiments and strength of the general people and also about the different communities, it added.
Stating that this is not an easy task, the outfit said this is a task of creating a generation of people with great potential. Most of the youths of the State are unable to know Kangleipak. This is one reason why the movement for liberation cannot be strong. Thus it’s time special efforts were made to bring out Social Scientists just as much attention is being paid to Science, Sports and Culture, it added.
It further said this is not something Hindustanis would do for us, only the Kangleichas should do it for ourselves. Search has been going on for an answer to the question as to whether there is a map to fully use the right to self determination of Kangleipak as handed down through history with the help of the international laws.
Saying that a universal standard for all mankind in the world has been introduced in the 20th century, the outfit said this right that used to be exercised only in the small countries in Europe before the 20th century got expanded amidst the World War I and World War II. As an outcome of World War II, the right to self determination demanded by India since 1918 was given assent to and granted by the British after 29 years. It was not discussed on the platform of the UN, it added.
With a lot of efforts by the Soviet Union and China, it was resolved in 1960 that the UN and its member nations would respect the right to self determination. Even India ratified the resolution. However since the Western countries were primarily concerned with the salt water decolonization, they did not pay attention to the countries that did not come under the colonization of the West. The West still accepts the UN resolution, it said.
Concluded
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