IMPHAL, August 18: The coordination committee of 7 Manipur based insurgent groups (Corcom) has declared that the people of Manipur are not Indians, were never Indians and will never be Indians.
The Corcom consist of outlawed groups like the KCP, KYKL, PREPAK, PREPAK (Pro), RPF, UNLF and UPPK.
Taking strong exception to an editorial comment of a local daily lamenting the lack of public participation in Independence Day celebrations in the state the Corcom statement accused the daily of trying to be a mouthpiece of the colonial masters.
The statement said, it is but natural for a corrupt democracy and the hegemonic institutional culture to bring forth such editors.
The editorial smacks of ignorance of the history of Manipur and how Manipur was forcibly annexed in 1949, the statement added.
The coordination committee congratulated the people of Manipur for supporting the boycott of Independence Day celebrations this year and the general strike.
The statement said, such solidarity once again reaffirms the ultimate realisation of an independent state comprising the indigenous peoples of this region. After the forcible annexation 63 years ago, India is trying to annihilate the indigenous peoples of the region by facilitating measures like the influx of economic migrants from the mainland to the region.
The pressures of migrants have become such that the indigenes is finding it difficult to find a breathing space, it said.
Citing the present clash between the Bodos and migrants in Assam and the backlash in major metropolitan cities of India against the northeast people the Corcom statement said, India instead of taking adequate security measures to protect the NE people is trying to dismiss the violent attacks on NE people as wild rumours. This reveals the indifference and lack of concern for the NE people.
The statement further ridiculed the speeches of the corrupt Ministers and MLAs of Manipur on Independence Day.