Manipuris suffer a lot from wrong govt policies, Kakomlung Kamei
IMPHAL, June 18: The 13th Great June Uprising Unity Day, jointly organised by the All Manipur United Club Organisation, AMUCO and United Committee Manipur, UCM was observed on Wednesday at Kekrupat.
Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam led several other ministers, MLAs, and people from all communities residing in the State in offering floral tributes to the 18 martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the State on June 18, 2001.
Family members and kin of the 18 martyrs were also present during the observation.
Observation committee chairman and UCM president Y Nabachandra, vice chairman of the observation committee and president of AMUCO Dr Y Mani Khuman, and 32 community leaders and eminent personalities of Manipur attended as the presidium members of the observation.
Convenor of the observation committee T Gandhi pointed out in his key note address that Manipur used to be an independent and sovereign country in South-East Asia with different ethnic communities coexisting peacefully since time immemorial.
“Ever since the deceptive and coercive annexation to India on 15 October 1949,” he added, “we have lost our right to self-determination and have been living as a subjugated people, and under the guise of democracy, the Government of India has been conspiring to break up Manipur by driving wedges between different communities.”
Citing the Union government’s attempt to break the territorial integrity of Manipur in the name of a peace talk with an insurgent outfit as a glaring example, he said that the people of Manipur have not forgotten the ultimate sacrifice of the 18 brave and patriotic souls who laid down their lives when people revolted against the signing of the Bangkok Agreement of June 14, 2001 containing the controversial clause ‘without territorial limits’ which threatened the territorial integrity of Manipur.
The thunderous uproar of the massive June uprising is echoing in the ears of the people and the gunshots fired indiscriminately to suppress the agitation is reverberating even today, he said, adding that June 2001 reminds us all that people can give up their lives for the motherland, for the territory of the state and for unity.
“The people of Manipur welcome the government’s decision to let insurgent joined the mainstream. But if the Union government tries to use some insurgent outfits as tools to break the unity and integrity of Manipur, continues its conspiracy to instigate ethnic cleansings in the name of counter insurgency operations, the people of Manipur will stand tall and united. This is the collective stand of the people,” he said.
Today, the call for unity, the desire to live together with other communities as our own kinsmen as blood brothers with those settled in the hills have strengthened tremendously, he stressed.
Speaking to the media, Y Nabachandra said that this day is observed mainly to give the message that the territorial integrity of Manipur cannot be compromised.
Mangpu Kom, secretary, Kom literature society said that till we separate ourselves as Meitei, Naga, Kuki and others, there will be no unity among the people of Manipur.
He further said that but if the people of Manipur live in unity as one then even the government of India can’t do anything to the state.
Kakomlung Kamei, Kabui Mother’s Association, president said that the people of Manipur have always bear the brunt of the ill –advised policies of the union government and the state government.
She said that all the communities of Manipur will continue to live together and added that most importantly honesty is very essential in every community today as it is the most powerful weapon.
In connection with the observance of the 13 the great June uprising, unity day 2014, a one-day voluntary blood donation camp, jointly organised by AMUCO, UCM, RIMS and blood bank and transfusion unit, JNIMS was also held at Kekrupat.