A Message given to the People of Manipur on the 46th Anniversary of People’s Liberation Army PLA) by Acting President MM Ngouba

25 September, 2024

Firstly, I offer my revolutionary salute to all the heroes who have sacrificed during the national liberation movement of our Motherland and our people.

On this auspicious 46th Foundation Day of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), I extend my respects to all the Liberation Army comrades, comrades of all the revolutionary organizations, and the people of our motherland, and I convey this revolutionary message to you all.

Bharat is not a new enemy to us. Long before the British colonization arrived in the WESEA region, especially Assam and Manipur, we faced many challenges within our social structures and our independence from the Bharat side. Only after the British colonization arrived did oppression within our social system become systematic and institutionalized.

Our enemy, Bharat, claims to be an independent country that upholds democratic principles. However, in a country like Bharat, which claims to uphold democracy and independence, why do people have to endure so much suffering and oppression? This is not a question that has only emerged recently or is raised by a handful of people. Many people from various sections of society have been asking this question for a long time.  

It has been more than sixteen months, and still, the Bharat government continues to oppress and terrorize the people of Manipur through the use of proxies and paid foreign mercenaries. On top of that, certain groups of people who are always eager to please their colonial masters have further exacerbated the situation for both the people and the state. “Khangenfam youre” is the desperate cry of the people today. (“Khangenfam” is the place in the courtyard where a dead body is placed before the final rites). Today there should not be anyone who is unaware of how we have arrived at this stage. To remind once again, Manipur had already hoisted her “National Flag” and declared independence on 14 August 1947. The forced annexation of Manipur under the “Merger Agreement” is considered illegal and the people of Manipur have declared it null and void. From the perspective of international law, Manipur is an occupied territory, controlled by the Indian Armed Forces, and has been governed by a colonial administration ever since. Having been deprived of the right to manage their own affairs, they find themselves powerless against the series of disasters inflicted upon them by India.  

It has become evident during our long journey of National Liberation that the Bharat government is not only dishonest and untrustworthy but will also go to any lengths to support and protect wrongdoers. Ever since the inception of the People’s Liberation Army in Manipur, many individuals have sacrificed their lives to liberate our motherland and our people. The Indian colonial government and its occupying forces have killed around 1,500 Individuals, and many others remain victims of enforced disappearance during the course of this liberation war. Despite numerous attempts by various organizations and individuals to achieve justice, the Bharat government has not only failed to provide a proper or clear response but has also shown indignity instead.

Let us take a look at another example. A mass killing called “Oting Massacre” took place on December 2021, in Mon District of Nagaland. 21 Para Special Forces of the Indian Army ambushed a group of coal miners returning home, killing six people on the spot. Angered by the incident, the Naga people protested, but in response, another seven innocent individuals were also shot and killed. Nagaland government commissioned a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after widespread public outcry over the incident. The Indian Army also declared they would conduct their own investigation and take appropriate and impartial actions against anyone found guilty. In May 2022 SIT submitted a charge sheet against thirty personnel from an Indian Army Unit involved in the killing incident to Session Court of Mon District. However, the colonial authorities did not issue the order, which effectively led to the obstruction of the judicial proceedings against those involved in the killings. Once again, the Nagaland government had to submit a written petition to the Supreme Court on 16 April 2024 in response to the Naga people’s demand for justice. However, the matter was closed after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Union Home and Defense Ministers following a hearing of the appeal on July 15.  Such killings carried out by the Bharat government are not only the fate shared by Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam; similar incidents have occurred throughout the WESEA region, where everyone stands against colonization. The Bharat colonial government has continuously oppressed and imprisoned individuals, and the lingering effects of heinous killing still haunt those who have chosen the path of national liberation movement in this region. Instead of providing true justice for the oppression, arrests, and killings by occupying forces of the colonial government, they defend the offenders and attempt to silence the masses, with the colonial government, its armed soldiers and even the courts acting as a unified front, a reality that is undeniable and unlikely to change.

There is another history of deception and insincerity that parallels the history of the heinous crimes committed by the Bharat government and its occupying forces. For years, some revolutionary organizations, having stepped back from armed struggle, have been trying to find a solution at the table. However, instead of providing genuine resolutions, the Bharat government has misled these revolutionary organizations and the people by offering items like Framework Agreement, Suspension of Operations, Homecoming Ceremony, and Ceasefire Agreement.

The Independence of Bharat is merely in name.  They have never abandoned the British colonial mentality of greed and encroachment on others’ territories; instead, they embraced it and advanced even more forcefully. Though they claim to have been independent for over 70 years, nothing has changed regarding Bharat’s divide-and-rule system or its oppressive laws. Today’s Bharat has no real foundation; it is simply the colonial crown passed from the British passed to them. In reality, it’s a country built on oppressing and stripping away the rights of the many smaller nations, all under the dominance of a powerful society defined by one particular religion and language.  As some in Bharat have said, their so-called independence was merely an exchange of power from “one set of crooks to another set of crooks”.  

The Bharat government has continued the colonial occupation of others’ land, a practice once carried out by the British, but now perpetuated by Bharat. Dreaming of an Akhanda Bharat, they forcibly annexed many nation-states, and where annexation was not possible, they sought to encroach on neighboring countries’ territories or pressured them into becoming client states under Bharat’s influence, a clear extension of colonial tactics. They still haven’t returned the territory that belongs to Nepal, cunningly merged Sikkim with Bharat, and have kept Bhutan as an undeclared vassal state of Bharat.  

There will be no good outcome for evil deeds. People from every corner fed up and intolerant, have risen up to stand against Bharat’s colonial encroachment tactics, loudly opposing their actions. Nepal has now raised its voice, demanding the return of its encroached territorial land from Bharat. The people of the Maldives have demonstrated that they will not tolerate Bharat’s infringement in the internal politics of the Maldives. Bhutan has begun asserting her rights in the management of her own affairs. Agitations and movements against Bharat’s colonial encroachment tactics towards neighboring countries have grown significantly stronger and more powerful today. One very distinguished example is the movement in Bangladesh. This movement represents one of the most significant defeats for Bharat’s colonial mindset and its behavior as a dominant power.

India’s support for Awami League is not a recent development, it dates back to the time when Bangladesh was formerly East Pakistan. The current situation has been driven by the Indian efforts to transform Bangladesh into a client state of India, orchestrated through Awami League under the tutelage of Sheikh Hasina and her family. Awami League’s ability to hold onto power for more than a decade and a half was largely due to India’s support, a fact they don’t event attempt to conceal. Prior to the most recent election, the then- General Secretary of the Awami League, during a visit to India openly acknowledged that the Party was able to rule only because of India’s support. His statement sparked a major controversy in Bangladesh at that time. Under the pretext of suppressing the “insurgents” from the “North East Region” and “Islamist Extremists”, they allowed Indian Spy agencies to operate freely at various districts of Bangladesh. With India’s support, they began governing the country in a manner resembling a police state. Members of the opposition parties were imprisoned, subjected to clandestine killings and enforced disappearances, exiled to various countries, and faced numerous other actions, effectively eliminating those who opposed Sheikh Hasina. Awami League forcibly conducted the last election without any opposition, and subsequently, began ruling in a manner reminiscent of a dictatorship. The dissatisfaction with the regime’s authoritarianism and Indian influence reached such an intolerable level, sparking a student-led protest that quickly evolved into a movement to overthrow the regime. True to her dictatorial nature, Sheikh Hasina resorted to force and violence, leading to the loss of hundreds of civilian and student lives. The scale of violence and death, unseen since the Bangladesh Independence war, galvanized the population, prompting many to join the uprising and further intensify the movement. In an attempt to control the situation, Sheikh Hasina deployed the army, but the Bangladesh Army refused to comply, taking a stand against shooting students and civilians. This refusal ultimately sealed Sheikh Hasina’s fate.

Among Sheikh Hasina’s actions to appease India, one was the signing of an extradition agreement with India on July 28, 2016. Following this agreement, many cadres including the revolutionary leaders from the “North East” were arrested and extradited to India. In response to Sheikh Hasina’s prior action done under the extradition agreement, the people of Bangladesh have now began demanding her return to the country. In an article titled “Bangladesh Free from Indian Rahu”, published in a reputed Bangladeshi newspaper, the issue was raised that even the “Freedom Fighters of Manipur” were handed over to India under the previous agreement. Therefore, the article questioned, why should Sheikh Hasina not be handed back to Bangladesh in the same manner?

Contrary to respecting the interests of Bangladesh and its people, India, as per its character, persisted its nefarious activities. Courtesy of these activities, India’s covert interest in Bangladesh were exposed. Immediately after Sheikh Hasina fled the country and even before she set foot on Indian soil, India’s interests began to manifest from multiple directions. Their initial move was to stoke fears of future armed clashes along the Bangladesh border. Subsequently, they repeatedly sought to frame the current people’s movement of Bangladesh within the context of “Foreign Influence” on several occasions. Inflammatory statements circulated widely, suggesting if Bangladesh attempted to strengthen ties with China, India would expand its “Chicken Neck” corridor and reignite disruption again in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) by supporting the insurgents, or even push for the integration of CHT into India’s “North East”. Furthermore, India unashamedly expressed that had they occupied Bangladesh after defeating Pakistan in the 1971 war, the current crisis in Bangladesh would never have arisen. In the most recent attempt to threaten Bangladesh, India’s Defense Minister stated that, given the situation in Bangladesh, the Indian Army should make preparations for war.

When individuals speak out against India, it attempts to silence them or pressures the host nation to take action, claiming such dissent impacts its national interests. In addition, India consistently applies pressures on platforms used by these individuals, resulting in bans, restrictions, or fines as forms of punishment. Immediately after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, numerous statements affecting Bangladesh’s national interests were released and circulated by the Indian media. These statements did not come from the ordinary citizens but from highly influential figures. When it comes to its own national interests, India demands the others to refrain from discussing or interfering in matters that affect it. However, when its own citizens speak out against the interest of other countries, particularly its immediate neighbors, India permits such actions. This suggests the Indian Government is tacitly approving or allowing its people to engage in such activities. India is driven exclusively by territorial ambition and lacks any genuine intention to respect the diverse groups or communities within or beyond its border. It remains a country clinging to its colonial mindset, as clearly reflected in its narrative and actions.

The issues happening both within and outside India were neither unexpected nor rare occurrences. India’s deeply ingrained corrupt mindset has systematically led to these events, unfolding over time. It would be a grave mistake if our people still believe that a country with such corrupt mindset will deliver justice and alleviate our sufferings. Rather than easing our struggles, it is highly likely that we will encounter an even worse situation, one that could render us beyond recovery. This is clearly illustrated by the current crisis in Manipur. Despite being aware of their harmful nature, if our people still look to these colonizers and its occupying forces for justice, it would be akin to asking a monkey to divide a flatbread fairly. The unfortunate reality is that the people of Manipur find themselves trapped this very situation. If we continue to trust them to deliver justice while still under their colonial rule, the only outcome will be further deterioration and worsening conditions for our people and various other communities.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the RPF and other revolutionary groups have been consistently warning that our motherland and our people will face even greater hardships if we continue to remain dependent under their rule. Today, I reiterate the same message because, India is solely driven by its greed for land, with no concern for the safety and prosperity of the people of this region. It remains a country that cannot shed its colonial mindset. In this pivotal moment, where we can no longer turn away, I humbly convey this message to march forward in unison, bearing the torch of revolution to liberate our people.

LONG LIVE RPF,

VICTORY TO PLA.

Date. 25 September, 2024.           

                                                                                                                             Mm Ngouba

Acting President

Revolutionary People’s Front, RPF.

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