Sedition | FINDINGTHEVOICES

S03E20 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: How are you going to define peace in Manipur?(Part 4)

Guest Speaker :RK Ranendrajit, Social Activist, a former fighter pilot of the IAF and former editor of Freedom in Manipur.
Language: Interview in Meteilon

Location: Bir Tikendrajit Memorial complex, Manipur, India

Presenting the 4th part of RK Ranendrajit ’s interview.

In this episode, former fighter pilot and social activist, RK Ranendrajit talks about the conflict situations in Manipur, the notorious Armed Forces Special Powers Act prevalent in the state that has left the people getting alienated from the rest of the country. He says that even though there have been a few positive changes in the last few decades, the Right to Life for the people of Manipur has always been debatable.

Although there have been numerous protests by the citizens, the Government still remains to ignore the plea and cry of the people. As a result of these situations, the resistance from the people started as they began to worry about what kind of future their children are destined for in the state. He says that the Government of India has plans to exploit the resources and talents of the state as part of Indianzation and assimilation but they have failed in getting the people’s support and serving their needs.

When we asked RK Ranendrajit about our show and requested him for a little feedback and some advice, he responded by saying that the show has been doing a very good thing by bringing out the thoughts, ideas and views of the people and the ground reality. He says that the show brings out the notable personalities of Manipur and spread their knowledge. He also stressed the importance of documentation and archiving.

Lastly, he expressed his views on the peaceful forms of protests in Manipur against AFSPA and other conflicts citing Irom Sharmila Chanu as an example. He also mentioned about the fake encounters in Manipur that the armed forces carry out whenever they feel that the people are gaining momentum in the struggle against AFSPA. This is somehow similar to what senior journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee mentioned during his interview with us while speaking about his book on confessions of army officers.

Catch up his first part of the interview at S03E12 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit, knowing your cultural roots and Identity of Manipur. and the second part of the interview at S03E13 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: Why did he leave the Indian Air Force and go back to Manipur ?. and the third part the interview at S03E19 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: Sedition and Freedom in Manipur.

About FindingTheVoices:

Born and raised in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur, I have a vision to promote and spread inspiring, empowering, educative & entertaining stories. I believe that we can create contents bringing the positive side of Manipur. I believe we can do this together by finding the voices, voices which needs to be heard and shared, voices of our own people, people of Manipur and well-wishers of Manipur. I believe that these voices will bring a change and connect all of us.

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E19 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: Sedition and Freedom in Manipur (Part 3)

Guest Speaker :RK Ranendrajit, Social Activist, a former fighter pilot of the IAF and former editor of Freedom in Manipur.
Language: Interview in Meteilon

Location: Bir Tikendrajit Memorial complex, Manipur, India

Presenting the third part of RK Ranendrajit ’s interview..

Former fighter pilot and social activist, RK Ranendrajit talks about the development of sports in Manipur and the need to hunt for young talent and groom the upcoming generations. He stressed the need to sustain a very good infrastructure in sports so that the level of competition is in par with international standards. He also emphasized the importance of providing sufficient funds in the sports department in Manipur so that there would be enough staffs and leaders who could carry on sports management and development for the future generations.

RK Ranendrajit also talks about the gutsy newspaper daily, Freedom. The press was established on 12th December, 1992 but discontinued from the first week of February, 2001 because of constant opposition by the Government of Manipur. He was charged of sedition by the Government citing an article that he published during the 90’s as being rebellious. However, he was acquitted and the sedition charges were dropped after 17 years by the court. He has faced similar situations in the past. During his time in the Indian Air Force serving as a fighter pilot, RK Ranendrajit’s integrity was questioned and he was put under constant surveillance by the organization as his brother, RK Meghen alias Sanayaima, was the chairman of the banned insurgent group United National Liberation Front. Then in Manipur, the Government tainted the reputation of the institute by getting the school raided in the middle of the night under suspicion of being a revolutionary school.

Tune in to this episode to listen to RK Ranendrajit expressing how he feels about all these incidents in his life. Apart from these dark spots, he also talks about the positive changes that have come about.