[Assam] Defying diktat to celebrate the Independence

[Chan Mahanta]

Dear Thakuria:

You don't have to call me 'Sir'.  We are very informal here. A simple 
Mahanta is adequate.

Thanks for sharing the publication,which I see is the same as was 
published elsewhere. If I remember correctly, I did post a response 
to that earlier.

Anyway, this is interesting in that it was published by the Organiser 
, the RSS mouthpiece. I am not sure whether you re-posted it for us 
because you consider being published by this journal something of an 
accomplishment  or just to let us know that your efforts are being 
widely noticed.

Personally, I don't think very highly  of the RSS. In fact, quite 
poorly. And  I am not the only one. I know many enlightened Indians 
think of this outfit very negatively. It is an organization that has 
absolutely no place in Oxomiya society. Even the US lists it as a 
terrorist outfit, if I heard it in Assamnet  correctly.

So, I don't know whether to applaud your being noticed or to  be 
disappointed with your currying favor with an outfit whose ideology 
could not be more destructive to the traditional inclusive and 
accepting nature of the Oxomiya people.

Best.

cm












At 2:29 PM +0000 8/27/07, Nava Thakuria wrote:
>Dear Mahanta Sir,
>Here is an article for your information 
>(http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=199&page=14).
>Regards,
>Nava Thakuria,
>Guwahati, India
>
>
>
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>
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Message-ID: <e01b79620708270727g2c4fd6c6sc789ca855b8bfd93 at mail.gmail.com>
>From: "Nava Thakuria" <navathakuria at gmail.com>
>To: navathakuria at rediffmail.com
>Subject: id
>Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
>	boundary="----=_Part_78838_1143088.1188224877861"
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>Defying diktat to celebrate the Independence
>
>
>
>By Nava Thakuria
>
>
>
>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 
>north-east based banned armed groups namely the Kamatapur Liberation 
>Organisation, Manipur People's Liberation Front, Tripura People's 
>Democratic Front and the United Liberation Front of Assam 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 day-long 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 
>labourers (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. 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-hour 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. Four explosions took place nearer to the 
>Independence Day celebration ground at Gauripur (under Dhubri 
>district) and Bongaigaon in western Assam. The blasts at around nine 
>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 jawan was killed there in militants' attack on 
>August 15) and Assam 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 Assam 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.
>
>
>
>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, Sushanta Talukdar, Dhanjit 
>Kakoti, Pramod Kalita 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.
>
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