IMPHAL: The United Committee Manipur (UCM) said that they should be consulted before the Centre and the NSCN(IM) sign “final agreement”. President of the UCM, Sunil Karam then said that time has come for the “indigenous peoples of the Northeast India to unite and stand together for the sake of future generations”.
Karam was talking to reporters in Imphal’s Kekrupat Memorial Complex where the UCM led a host of leaders of civil society organisations to offer tribute to the “martyrs” of the infamous “Great June Uprising” on the occasion of Langban Heitha Leithaba (tarpon).
Langbal month of Manipuri lunar calendar usually falls either in September or October. The Meetei/Meitei community offers “tarpon (dropping of fresh flowers and fruits in water)” as a mark of paying offering tributes to their ancestors on the occasion believing that they descend to their homes on the night of the full moon of the month and return to their dwellings on the day of the new moon.
Talking to the media after the offering ceremony, the UCM president recalled the “sacrifices made by the 18 people during the people’s uprising in June 2001 in protest against the extension of ceasefire between the Centre and NSCN(IM) without territorial limit”.
The UCM president then said, “We never forget the sacrifices made by them for the protection of territorial integrity of Manipur. We will not allow re-mapping of Manipur’s territorial boundary at any cost.” He also said that the “people of the state are always ready to face any challenge which is against the unity and integrity of the state”.
“UCM expects a positive outcome of the peace talk, but we will not tolerate any outcome that affects the territorial boundary of Manipur,” Sunil cautioned.
NNN