The proscribed umbrella organisation Coordination Committee (CorCom) has extended salute to the leaders who laid down their lives during the self-determination movement of Manipur on the arrival of its 11th Foundation Day which falls on Friday.
The organisation appreciates the people and shares their many hardships as they extend support to the armed revolution while bearing the pain inflicted by enemies, stated a release issued by its media coordinator M Sak-hen.
On CorCom’s 11th Foundation Day, the organisation extends greetings to the revolutionary groups and all the people of ‘Western South East Asia (WESEA)’, it stated.
Manipur and the rest of ‘WESEA’ are getting affected on a large scale as a result of the process of liberalisation which began in 1991, CorCom stated. Under the capitalist acts of Look East/Act East Policy which have a basis in colonialism, many efforts are being undertaken against the self-determination movement in the guise of improving the economy and establishing connectivity with Southeast Asia, it stated.
The agreement of extradition India made with Bangladesh and Thailand in the year 2013 was a tactic to suppress the ongoing nationalism movement, it mentioned. India has been pushing for various security measures under the shadow of ASEAN – India Plan of Action which was created in August 2015, it stated. India also eyes to make ‘WESEA’ which shares an international border of 1,643 kilometres with Myanmar as a transit for international activities, CorCom mentioned.
In the name of Kaladan Project, plans have been made to build naval and military bases in order to permanently shut down the economy and revolutionary movements of ‘WESEA’, it stated.
It stated that Under Look East Policy, India has been supplying T-55 Tanks, BN-2 Islander maritime surveillance aircrafts as well as deck-based air-defence guns etc. to its neighbouring country and helping militarisation. Under BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation) which was launched in 1997, India has been taking up measures to suppress the revolution in ‘WESEA’ in the name of action against ‘Counter-terrorism and trans-national crime’, it stated. The indigenous people of ‘WESEA’ should be wary of the traps laid down by India among the countries in South East Asia.
CorCom further raised concern that its struggle for self-determination has become multifaceted considering the need to counter the drug menace which has severely affected the youths. CorCom recalled how the Chinese society was turned into a market for drugs during the mid 19th century by the British traders. Today, Manipur society is grappling with an opium war. Although India has banned poppy plantations under NDPS Act, 1985 it has no issues with the mass poppy plantations.
The main reason is that they have turned a blind eye to the poppy plantations around the camps of Indian Army and Paramilitary forces as well as their involvement in the drugs trade, it stated. The people have already raised suspicion that the para-military forces, particularly the Assam Rifles, as well as SoO groups are involved in the poppy plantations in Manipur, it stated. The suspicions are raised because the camps are usually found to be located near the poppy plantations, it added. They cannot claim to have no information of what is happening right under their noses, CorCom stated. At present, there are reports that around 7,000 acres of poppy plantations are there in Manipur, CorCom stated.
What is more interesting here is that poppy plantations are being carried out under a communal agenda. Few vested interest individuals are pushing the ethnic card and using the poor villagers at the hills to cultivate poppy, and inserting a wedge between the hills and the valley, it stated. However, only the rich and influential that hold positions at higher places are benefitting from these plantations.
The drug money is further used during elections and politicians opt for the drugs trade to make money. Drug traffickers start looking for means to get closer with politicians and eventually cause the deterioration of Manipur with the ramifications of such illicit activities, it added. Therefore, it is obvious that the electoral system is never going to bring any improvement for Manipur. The poppy plantations are also a huge detrimental factor in the armed conflict between India and ‘WESEA’/Manipur, it added.
Using the advantage of the situation, India is trying to make the external conflict of Manipur become an internal conflict, it further stated. Manipur, which had governed many communities while it was independent, is now pushed into a conflict with the hills and the valley by India with an economy based on drugs, it added.
Manipur turning into a poppy heaven is the gift of the state government claiming that the law and order situation in the state has improved, it stated. With insurgency becoming less active, the Indian Army is now busy guarding the poppy fields, it added.
After Manipur was forcefully merged into India, the people have been gradually becoming dependent on New Delhi in terms of economy, administration and even culture and traditions, CorCom further stated.
It is time for the people to join hands and take up measures to escape from these counter politics, it added. Considering the drug menace and other forms of suppression being carried out by India, the people of all communities need to chart out ways to live and fight together. There is a need to build an all inclusive nationalism to become free from the sinister designs of Indian colonialism, it added.
