SIPHRO

Imphal, February 08, 2006: Greeting the people on the 19th foundation day of the armed wing of the UNLF, the Manipur People’s Army, the Military Affairs Committee of the outfit today said that the call of the hour is for the united strength of the armed outfits to meet the challenges of the security forces and for the people to unitedly struggle and fight against Indian rule.

In a statement issued to the press, the MAC extended its gratitude to the people for their co-operation extended to the UNLF and enabling it to take a role in struggling to regain the lost sovereignty of the land.

Despite the presence of forces inimical to the revolutionary movement, the movement is moving forward, said the outfit and added that the UNLF/MPA has been shouldering a big responsibility to take the movement forward in the right direction.

The seeds of the revolutionary movement which were sown during the last 40 years have today matured to such a stage that it is now no longer possible to quell the movement with military might.

In other words, the situation today shows that the policy of the Indian Government to resolve the Manipur-India conflict through military might stands defeated.

On the troops deployment in Manipur, the outfit said that at present there is an Indian Army Division made up of three brigades (approx strength of 14,000 personnel), three sectors of the Assam Rifles (equivalent to one Army division), at least 12 Bns of the CRPF, BSF and other para-military forces (about four brigades).

The total strength then works out to about 50,000 personnel excluding the officers.

Compared to the numbers of the armed cadres in Manipur, the strength of the security force deployed here is immense, said UNLF.

Despite its numerical strength, the security force has not been able to defeat the armed movement, it said and added that it is enough testimony that the security force does not have the strength to corner all the armed outfits in the hills and plains of Manipur at one time.

Another factor for the failure to quell the armed movement is the fact that the people today no longer want Indian rule, though some may be against the conduct of the armed cadres.

Moreover the anger of the 20 lakh odd people of Manipur against the security force is another reason, said the outfit and added that in this condition if the personnel of the State force team up with the people, for which a time will surely come one day, the 20 lakh people of the State can easily defeat the security force with sticks and stones, observed the outfit.

It is because of this belief that the MPA cadres have been able to take on the security force without any fear.

However without realising their weaknesses, the security force launched an operation at the fag end of 2004 to over run the camps of the outfit at Sajik in Chandel district, Dingpi area and Henglep in Churachandpur.

What happened later is to everyone’s knowledge, said UNLF.

The security force were under the illusion that the camps of the outfit can be over run easily, but paid a heavy price and even the Defence Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee had to admit this on the floor of Parliament, observed UNLF.

After suffering huge casualties and deaths including the deaths of many officers, the security force beat a hasty retreat, claimed the outfit.

The reason why the security personnel were beaten back was because of the terrain, the deep bond of understanding between the people and the cadres and the united stand taken by the people and the cadres of the MPA, said UNLF and added this is the strength of the armed movement.

On Operation Dragnet launched at Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts, UNLF said that so far eight battles have been fought.

One LT Colonel of the Indian Army has been killed while more than jawans were also killed, claimed the statement and added that the MPA has suffered 6 casualties including one 2nd Lt while two other cadres were hurt.

During the course of the intense gun fight, the MPA has pulled back from Parbung and Thanlon in Churachandpur and from Begra area in Jiribam.

The MPA pulled back from these places as a tactical ploy, said the statement and added that to the MPA Manipur is the battlefield and they will engage the security force to any battle anywhere, anytime.

One reason why the Indian Army was able to move into some areas of Churachandpur at such a short time was because of the HPC (D) led the security personnel to camps of the UNLF, an erstwhile ally of the UNLF but now an instrument of the Indian Army, said the statement.

On top of this the HPC (D) also tried to drive a wedge between the local Hmar people and the UNLF by threatening them not to extend any co-operation to the cadres of the MPA.

However though the HPC (D) has joined hands with the security force, the UNLF will continue to work together with the Hmar people as before.

At this juncture the intelligence agencies of India are spreading false propaganda to weaken the armed movement, cautioned the outfit and added that the news carried in some newspapers of Nagaland and Mizoram that the UNLF cadres are harassing the people of Parbung and raping women is nothing but a ploy to whip up communal tension.

However such false propaganda can never defeat the revolutionary movement and the UNLF, asserted the statement.

One primary reason why India can never defeat the revolutionary movement is because of the fact that the demand for sovereignty is today not only the demand of the armed cadres, but has become a people’s demand, observed the outfit.

The Great June Uprising of 2001 and the 2004 July uproar is ample testimony to this.

Today the people have come out in the open because the armed outfits have been able to expose the deceitful policies of India down the years.

Today the excesses committed by the security personnel of the world’s largest democracy, the rape of women, the killings etc stand exposed.

However the demand for sovereignty is yet to be fully exposed to the international fora and attempts should be made towards this direction, said the outfit.

Once the demand for a plebiscite under the UN to resolve the Manipur-India conflict gains momentum, then it can be taken to mean that the Indian rule which has been force since 1949 is over.

UNLF also offered revolutionary salutes to all cadres who have been killed by the security personnel as well as the innocent civilians killed by the security force.

The outfit also shared the grief and pain of those who have been maimed and disabled by the security personnel and added that the suffering of the people will come to an end only Indian rule is defeated and thrown out.

The outfit also extended its greetings to its allies, the KLO, NSCN (K), ULFA and TDPF on the occasion.

Source: The Sangai Express