Assam defies militant's diktat: Celebrates R-Day

Nava Thakuria

Guwahati

Tue, 27 Jan 2009: 

Defying the diktat of the militants the journalist and other citizens of Guwahati came forward on Monday to celebrate the 60th Republic Day of the country. The conscious people gathered at Guwahati Press Club in the morning to hoist the National flag. They also joined in a procession in the streets of the city shoutg patriotic slogans.

Hoisting the Tricolour in the press club campus, eminent litterateur-journalist Nirupama Borgohain stated that the Independence and Republic Day aptly represent the indomitable spirit of a free nation, before which all diktats melt away. India as a nation must nourish this sprit, she commented.

Earlier addressing the gathering, senior journalists Ajit Patowary and Rupam Baruah explained the significance of the Day and paid rich tributes to the martyrs, who had sacrificed their lives to overthrow foreign occupation.

In fact, it becomes a ritual for the separatist groups of Northeast India to impose diktats on the Republic and Independence Day of the country. However it seems to emerge as a self regulated responsibility as well for the conscious citizens to reject it outrightly.

It may be mentioned that a citizens' meet in Guwahati on January 21 earlier called upon the people of Assam and Northeast to celebrate the R-Day in each and every locality of the State and hoist the National Tricolour atop every house. Organised by the Journalists' Forum, Assam (JFA) at the press club, the meeting came to conclusion that 'a clear message should go to those issuing a diktat against any celebration of the Day, that people will no longer tolerate any anti-national threat and will give them a fitting reply'.

This year too, four armed groups of the region imposed a boycott call on the forthcoming R-Day celebration. In a Solidarity Statement issued by Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, Manipur People's Liberation Front, Tripura People's Democratic Front, United Liberation Front of Asom had urged the people to boycott and prevent any celebrations on January 26 in Northeast India.

The region, surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Burma and Bangladesh, nurtures nearly 30 armed groups who have been fighting New Delhi for demands ranging from sovereignty to self-rule. The draconian law like the Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 is still applicable in the region. In the last few years, many armed groups have gone for ceasefire with the government, but the region remained conflict ridden till date.

"The imposition of Indian constitution in the region completes 59 years this 26th January. During this period, scores of thousands of our peoples have been killed, tortured, maimed and hundreds of our womenfolk have been raped by the Indian Occupation Forces," the statement, signed by the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and e-mailed to the media persons, stated.

Upholding the genuine and legitimate aspirations of all the people and ethnic groups of the region, the statement revealed, 'a general strike will be observed on January 26, 2009 from 1 am to 6 pm throughout the region'. They appealed the 'patriotic organisations of the region' to endorse the statement and observe the Boycott and General Strike in their own capacities.

"The martyrs (of India's Freedom movement) embraced death during the struggle so that we can live today as independent nation. This day is an occasion to express our gratitude to them. We cannot forget them just because a group of militants want to terrorise us into forgetting them. We must inculcate a sense of patriotism in our younger generation and teach it to respect the Flag," said D N Bezboruah, a veteran journalist based in Guwahati.

The former president of Editors Guild of India, Bezboruah also added, "We may not be happy with a particular government or successive governments. Governments come and go, but should that make us blame our glorious history of freedom struggle that has given us the right to determine our own future, or even to change the governments we dislike?"

The R-Day celebration, by the time, went off peacefully. The journalists, after hoisting the National flag, took out a procession carrying the Tricolour and chanting slogans like Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Jai Ai Asom etc. The day was also observed at Kumarpara Panch Ali, Bamunimaidan, Hengrabari, Japorigog, Khanapara, North Guwahati and various other localities and the National Tricolour was seen flying atop hundreds of houses dotting the city.