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Nov 20, 2008 |
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Militants defied on India's I-Day
NAVA THAKURIA
WHEN THE mainland India celebrated 62nd Independence Day in a peaceful atmosphere, Assam (Asom) observed it under a high security alert and amidst the fear psychosis after a series of explosions rocked the western part of the State. The people in general showed extraordinary courage to celebrate the Day defying the diktat of militants, who imposed a general strike on August 15. The citizens in general and journalists in particular joined various I-Day programmes throughout the State with utmost conviction.
The State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi unfurled the National flag in the State capital and appealed the militants to come forward for peace talks and join hands in making Assam a prosperous State. The government functions was supplemented by community celebrations that took place at Kumarpara Panch Ali, Ulubari, Lal Ganesh, Panjabari, Uzan Bazar, Ganeshguri and Maligaon in the city. Even the Tricolour flied high atop innumerable houses across Guwahati on the day.
The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, while hoisting the National flag at the premises of Red Fort, did not forget to mention about the Northeast. Addressing the Nation amidst warm applause from the dignitaries, children in colourful dresses and the proud citizens, Dr Singh argued that the country must pay special attention to the development of the region. The Northeast, he commented, require an era of peace for them to catch up with the more developed parts of the country.
Mentionable that four major armed groups called for a general strike throughout the region on August 15. The banned outfits namely Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), Tripura Peoples Democratic Front (TPDF) and United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) issued a call to boycott the I-Day observations in the region.
In a joint statement, issued by the ULFA chief Arabinda Rajkhowa, they made an appeal to the people of Northeast 'to boycott and prevent the celebration in any manner of India's Independence Day on 15th August 2008' to consolidate the people's solidarity to the struggle for liberation from Indian colonial occupation.
"The Indian state has been employing all means, particularly covert and state terrorism to intimidate the outfits and using massive military force to push the liberation forces into peace talks. But as anticipated, such peace talks have not produced the desired results even after 10 years of negotiations as talks could not resolve the politico-military conflict in the region because it does not address the core issue of sovereignty and independence," the statement added.
The landlocked Northeast, which has been surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet (china), Burma and Bangladesh, is the home for more than 30 active armed groups, who have been fighting against New Delhi with demands ranging from sovereignty to self rule. Active among them, the ULFA was formed in 1979 and it continues fighting for a sovereign Assam. Thousands of people have already lost their lives due to insurgency in the region during the few decades.
However, the spirit of Nationalism among the people of Assam and the Northeast never dried up and hence the diktat of militants could not deter them in participating in the celebrations. Like different other states of the mainland India, the region also witnessed government functions at various State capitals and district head quarters to observe the Independence Day. Moreover, the enthusiast citizens organized community celebrations in many places.
The journalists and conscious citizens of Assam assembled at Guwahati Press Club premises to hoist the National flag and pay homage to the martyrs. They also took out a precession in the city streets. The veteran journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakrabarty hoisted the Tricolour and addressed the gathering with a brief outline of the freedom movement. Pointing his finger to the militants, he criticised their move to impose a diktat on celebration of the Day. Rather, he commented, the cadres of the banned armed groups should come forward to join hands in making Assam a prosperous State.
The day however witnessed a series of explosions in lower Assam, where militants triggered three blasts Dhubri and Chirang districts. All the explosions took place near the parade grounds readied for the flag hoisting ceremony. Two persons received injuries in the explosions. The incidence simply reminded the people about the explosions, masterminded by the militant outfits, which had taken place in the State prior to I-Day and Republic Day celebrations during the last few years.
But the violence that even killed many people in the past did not deter the journalists to make advance plea to the people to celebrate both the Days in befitting manners every year. This time too, a group of journalists and columnists made a clarion call to the freedom loving people of the region to defy any kind of diktats by the militants and pay their gratitude in memory of the martyrs, hoisting the National Tricolour atop their houses and also organizing community celebrations in their respective localities.
In a statement, signed by Nirupama Borgohain (a Sahitya Academy awardee) and DN Chakrabarty (former editor of Dainik Asom) with Ajit Patowary, Hiten Mahanta, Rupam Baruah, Ranen Kumar Goswami, Bhupen Bargohain, Sabita Lahkar, Mukul Kalita, Pramod Kalita, Kumud Das, N. Thakuria etc and released for the media, they declared, "The great patriots like Kushal Konwar, Kanaklata, Mukunda Kakoti, Tilak Deka, Bhogeswari Phukanani and many brave hearts from Assam laid down their lives opposing the British colonial rulers. And the people of Assam have inherited the spirit of freedom from those patriots who made immense sacrifices to make India a free nation." #
Note: View express in the article is exclusively of the author and not of DurDesh.net |
| Posted by : Editor on Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 01:00 AM EST |
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