Guwahatians defy diktat, observe I-Day

by Nava Thakuria from Guwahati
August 17, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1653/guwahatians-defy-diktat-observe-i-day

As usual militant outfits tried to dictate the people of Assam not to observe India's Independence Day on August 15, but defiant Guwahatians once again organized community functions to hoist the National Tricolour with great enthusiasm. The people from various sections held I-Day functions at various places in the city. The journalists took the lead to observe the 65th I-Day in Guwahati Press Club in a befitting manner.

After hoisting the National flag at the press club, senior journalist Ranen Kumar Goswami called for resolute fight against the forces of terror and secession. Every Indian has the right to celebrate the National Days of the country, like the I-Day and the Republic Day, and he or she should come out boldly to assert this right, he asserted adding that the terrorism that has been trying to disrupt the democratic process in this part of the country is backed by enemy countries. Addressing the gathering, another senior journalist Ajit Patowary reiterated that it is high time to rise against all evil forces which have been trying to disrupt the democratic process in the country. He also led a procession in the city street after the flag hoisting ceremony where journalists and civil society group members had participated chanting patriotic slogans.

Mentionable that Journalists Forum Assam earlier appealed to the people of Northeast India to celebrate Independence Day defying the diktat of the militants. In a press statement, issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and its secretary N. Thakuria, the forum argues that both I-Day and R-Day are two auspicious occasions for every patriotic Indian to pay their respect to hundred thousand martyrs of India's Freedom Movement.

Mentionable that the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) with 11 other Northeast India based armed outfits have called for a general strike on August 15 in the region.

The joint statement issued by Paresh Barua led ULFA faction, which was endorsed by Hynnitrep National Liberation Front of Meghalaya, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup, Kangleipak Communist Party, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak/Progressive, Revolutionary People's Front, United People's Party of Kangleipak, United National Liberation Front of Manipur, Tripura People's Democratic Front and National Liberation Front of Twipara declared about the general strike starting from August 14 midnight till the next day evening.

One can remember that a group of city-based journalists with some leading Guwahatians decided to raise voices against militant's diktat and they hoisted the national flag at Guwahati Press Club on January 26, 1998. It was in fact the beginning of resistance to the militants' threat on I-Day and R-Day celebrations in the Northeast.

Since then the journalists along with the patriotic Guwahatians continued their campaign against the attempts of the militant groups to scare away the common people from celebrating the auspicious Days. And their campaigns have seen the outcome today with thousands of citizens have assembled to hoist the Tricolour remembering the martyrs of Freedom movement with pledge to serve the motherland.

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