It seems that for the last couple of years, the common people in Assam are celebrating Indian Independence (as they very well should), in spite of reported threats of Assam Bandhs etc. Even the violence leading up to I-Day celebrations have not detered people.
--Ram On 22 Aug 2007 13:57:34 -0000, Nava Thakuria <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > [image: > rakhi]<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/signature-home.htm/[EMAIL > PROTECTED]/1399600_1393116/1399039/1?PARTNER=3&OAS_QUERY=null+target=new+> > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "Nava Thakuria" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: > Subject: Ban to celebrate I-Day > > *Published in Weekly Blitz, Dhaka, Bangladesh* > > > > (http://weeklyblitz.net/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1187788182&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&cat=3 > ) > > > > *Ban to celebrate I-Day ** * > > * * > > *Nava Thakuria reporting from Northeast* > > * * > > If for a section of the armed outfits of the Northeast, it becomes a > ritual to impose a ban on the celebration of the Independence Day (and the > Republic Day), the counter-reactions by media persons also emerges equally > true to form and more significantly gains momentum day by day. The > journalists of the trouble torn state of Assam has not only started > disapproving such boycott calls in their media columns, but also assembling > in press club to observe the auspicious Days of India. > > As the country prepared to celebrate its 61st Independence Day, four > Northeast based banned armed groups namely the Kamatapur Liberation > Organization, Manipur People's Liberation Front, Tripura Peoples Democratic > Front and the United Liberation Front of Asom called upon the people of > the region to 'boycott and prevent the celebration in any manner'. In a > joint statement, issued on August 10, the outfits also imposed a daylong > general strike throughout the region starting the midnight of August 14 > as a 'mark of solidarity against Indian colonial occupation and repression'. > > Simultaneously with the boycott call, the militants stepped up violence in > various parts of Assam. The explosions and shootings in different places had > snatched away the lives of nearly 40 people on the eve of the Independence > Day. Other hundred were wounded in the incidents. Most of the victims were > identified as the migrant laborers (Hindu and Hindi speaking) from Northern > India. The police blamed ULFA and its ally Karbi Longri NC Hills > Liberation Front (KLNLF) for the transgression. > > The incident invited strong condemnation from the Prime Minister Dr > Manmohan Singh to various organizations in the State including the All Assam > Students Union and others. Meanwhile, a dawn to dusk Assam Bandh was > observed in protest against the killing of common people in the State. > Called by Purvottar Hindustani Sanmilan, Bhojpuri Yuva Chatra Parishad, > Bihari Yuva Manch and Kamrup Chamber of Commerce, the 12 hours Bandh passed > off peacefully on August 14. The ULFA militants received international media > headlines, while killing nearly hundred people in the first month of the > year on the eve of the Republic Day. > > The militants belonged to ULFA did not forget to carry out expositions on > the I-Day too. Four explosions took place nearer to the I-Day celebration > ground at Gauripur (under Dhubri district) and Bongaigaon in western Assam. > The blasts at around 9 in the morning, of course, did not claim any > casualties though reportedly injuring two persons. Meanwhile, huge amounts > of explosives were recovered from Kharupetia, Mangaldoi and Sivsagar > localities. > > But the violence and the diktat of militants could not prevent the people > of the region to come forward to observe the Day. The habitants of > Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and also the presently > insurgency stricken States like Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura (one CRPF jowan > was killed there in militants' attack on August 15) and Asom came forward > and participated in the celebration. > > The journalist and citizens of Assam gathered in Guwahati Press Club > premises to mark the 61st anniversary of Indian Independence Day. Noted > litterateur Nirupama Borgohain unfurled the Tri-colour amidst an impressive > gathering. Hoisting the flag, Ms Borgohain underlined the significance of > Independence Day celebrations in today's context and she called upon the > young generations to emulate the ideals upheld by the freedom fighters. The > people should come forward overcoming all threats issued by certain quarters > to uphold the spirit of the freedom struggle, she asserted. Earlier the > veteran journalist DN Chakrabarty led the rituals to pay tributes to the > martyrs of the freedom movement, who faced all sorts of torture of the > colonial rulers to make the country free. > > The participants also carried out a procession through the main streets of > Guwahati holding the banners reading 'Uphold the dignity of the National > flag.' They also chanted slogans like Vande Mataram, Jai Hind, Bharat Mata > Ki Jai. The conscious citizens in various parts of Guwahati in particular > and Asom in general demonstrated great zeal in upholding the cause espoused > by the freedom fighters on the occasion of the Day. They organized community > celebrations too at their respective localities with great enthusiasm and > hoisted the national Tri-colour atop their houses. Guwahati, for the first > time in the last two decades, witnessed community celebrations of > Independence Day in more than ten localities. > > It may mentioned that 16 senior journalists and columnists of Assam had > appealed to the people to come out to defy the militants' diktat and > 'hoist the National Tricolour on the Day atop their houses and also to > organize community celebrations in their respective localities'. In a press > statement they argued that 'the people of the State have every right to > celebrate the Day'. "We have inherited the spirit of the freedom fighters > who had made immense sacrifices and a good number of whom, like Kushal > Konwar and Kanaklata, had even laid down their lives to free the country > from the clutches of colonial rulers," added in the statement. > > Signed by Nirupama Borgohain (Sahitya Academy awardee columnist), DN > Bezboruah (former President, Editors Guild of India), DN Chakrabarty (former > editor of Dainik Asom) with Ajit Patowary, Rupam Baruah, Ranen Kumar > Goswami, Hiten Mahanta with others, the statement also stated that the > Independence Day this time added significance as it coincided with the birth > centenary celebrations of the great revolutionary martyr Bhagat Singh. > > > > *Posted on 22 Aug 2007 by Root* > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >
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