Skip to content Skip to navigation

Journalists dare to defy militants' diktat

If it becomes a ritual for a section of the banned armed outfits in Northeast India to impose a boycott call on the celebration of Independence Day and Republic Day, the rising counter-reactions against such diktats turned equally true to the term.

As the Nation prepares to observe 61st Independence Day, four Northeast based armed groups have today called upon the people of the region to boycott and also prevent the I-Day celebration as a mark of solidarity against Indian colonial occupation and repression.

Issued on August 10, 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), also imposed a general strike throughout the region on the day.

“On this day, a general strike shall be observed throughout the Region from 01:00 AM to 6:00 PM,” said in the statement, which was sent to a section of media persons through internet. The statement, issued by the ULFA chief Arabinda Rajkhowa, 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 said.

Also said in the statement addressing the entire populace of the region to keep faith in the collective strength and display their solidarity against India, the common enemy, by making the boycott and general strike a complete success.

Mentionable that Northeast India is the home of more than 30 active armed outfits, who all have been fighting against Indian Union Government with demands ranging from sovereignty to self rule. Thousands of people died in the last few decades because of insurgency. Active among them, the ULFA was formed in 1979 and still fighting New Delhi for an Independent Assam.

Now the police suspects that the ULFA leaders might tied up with many religious fundamentalists including the Bangladesh based the HUJI (Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami) with an aim to carry out terror strikes in Assam during or ahead of August 15. The Assam government has already sounded a security alert through out the State in fear of terrorists’ attacks during the celebration of the I-Day.

“It is unfortunate that the people of Assam are forced to live in constant fear in the run up to the Independence and Republic Day celebrations every year and it is no different this year as reports of possible attacks by the militant groups kept the people under the grip of a fear psychosis,” said in an editorial of The Assam Tribune, the oldest English daily from Northeast India.

It also added that this year the threat perception in the run up to the I-Day celebrations had increased because of reports that jehadi elements including HUJI might try to trigger explosions in Assam. “Though the HUJI and other jehadi groups have not yet been able to indulge in any major act of violence in Assam, the threat perception cannot be overlooked,” it commented.

However, the spirit of Nationalism among Northeasterns continued and hence the diktat of militants had never deterred the journalists of Assam to convey the message of Independence Day and to make plea to the people to celebrate the Day in a befitting manner.

In a press statement, issued by a group of Assam based journalists and columnists on August 4, they had already declared that the people of Assam had ‘inherited the spirit of the freedom-fighters who had made immense sacrifices to make India a free nation’.

“The great patriots like Kushal Konwar, Kanaklata, Mukunda Kakoti, Tilak Deka, Bhogeswari Phukanani and many brave hearts from Assam laid down their lives to free the country from the clutches of colonial British rulers,” it added.

The statement, signed by Nirupama Borgohain (a Sahitya Academy awardee) and Dhirendra Nath 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 etc, ended with the appeal to the people ‘to express their gratitude in memory of those patriots and martyrs, and hoist the National Tricolour on the Day atop their houses and also to organise community celebrations in their respective localities’.

The city-based journalists have decided to hoist the National Flag on the Guwahati Press Club campus at 11 AM on August 15. The statement concluded with the formal request to all the citizens to join the programme in press club and make it a success. It might be mentioned that the Guwahati based journalists had made it a habit of defying the militants’ diktats to celebrate both the auspicious Days on the press club premises in the last few years.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Dental & Medical admission test for MP

24 May 2014 - 8:47am | Koushik Hazarika
Madhya Pradesh All India Dental & Medical Admission Test (MP DMAT) is an examination conducted by Association of Private Dental and Medical Colleges in Madhya Pradesh (APDMC) for admission to...

War like situation in Guwahati outskirt

27 Nov 2017 - 8:53am | AT News
GUWAHATI:Guwahati and its adjacent areas have turned into a war zone when a mammoth security arrangement is in place to evict the illegal settlers inside a reserve forest in the outskirt of the city...

Food crisis cause of gradual decrease of tigers: Ziaur Rahman

25 Aug 2007 - 7:48am | luitneildon
GUWAHATI: At the age of 15, he began his mission of trapping tigers and hunting man-eaters. Now at the age of 65, he is still young at heart in his job: hunting. Till today, he has captured more than...

Green House scam: Court summons 8 IAS officers

11 Apr 2012 - 1:15pm | editor
A special court in Guwahati on Tuesday issued summons to eight IAS officers to depose it on April 20 after the Government exonerated them in connection with the Green House scam in 2009. The...

Other Contents by Author

Finally Assam government has bowed down to the growing public outrages. Following intense public pressure, the province government of Northeast India, has favoured for a CBI probe into the cases of rhino poaching at different preserves in the state. The state chief minister Tarun Gogoi on May 2 declared that following demands from various socio-environment organizations, the government has decided to go for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the killing of over 30 rhinos in Assam since January 2007.The civil societies and the advocacy groups of the region had rigorously raised voices against the slaughtering of endangered one horn rhinos by poachers since the early part of 2008...
Eminent historian, Nirode Barooah will attend the ‘Guest of the Month’ program of Guwagati Press Club (GPC) tomorrow (April 17) at 2 pm. Now based in Germany, Barooah will interact with the journalists during the program. Member-journalists are invited for the same, which will be held at GPC auditorium.
Guwahati Press Club (GPC), in association with DS Group, has decided to engage a group of journalists to study two important issues namely medicinal plants and mobile theatre groups of Assam. The press club will select four mid career journalists in two groups to study both the issue in details and report accordingly. The study program will include the usefulness and market potentiality of medicinal plants available in Assam. Moreover, the economy of mobile theatres of the state, the prospect of entertainment tax collection and a welfare scheme for the artists and technicians (with other) of those groups will be studied and report in the media outlets. Two comprehensive reports (in...
Dainik Batori eleven and Photo Journalist eleven have won the first day's match of 10th Guwahati Press Club Inter Media Cricket tournament. Played at Latashil play ground, Guwahati, the tournament was inaugurated Friday morning.The winner Dainik Batroi scored 216 in full 20 over losing five wickets. The Assam Tribune chased the target but fell short and lost the game by 74 run.Next match was played between Photo Journalist eleven and The Sentinel eleven, where the former one scored 211 in full 20 over. The Sentinel could score only 79 losing all the wickets.The final match of the tournament is scheduled to be held on March 23. Dainik Batori 216 (in 20 over)Assam Tribune 142 / 9 (in 20...
The 10th Guwahati Press Club Inter Media Cricket tournament has kicked off today morning at Latashil play ground, Guwahati. The inaugural match is played between Dainik Batori eleven and Assam Tribune eleven. Next match is scheduled between Photo Journalist eleven and The Sentinel eleven.The final match of the tournament is scheduled to be held on March 23.
The 10th Guwahati Press Club Inter Media Cricket tournament will begin on March 14 (Friday) at Latashil play ground. Those who are interested to join the tournament may submit a list of 15 members (players) with the photo-copies of Identity Cards to GPC office on or before March 9 next.The final schedule of the tournament will be declared after a meeting of the team representatives on GPC campus at 11am. The final match of the tournament is scheduled to be held on March 23.
Nellie, a sleepy village in Assam witnessed a heinous massacre in 1983 snatching the lives of thousands of Muslims. It was the time, when the Assam agitation led by All Assam Students Union reached peak and New Delhi imposed an election in Assam against the will of the indigenous people. The memory of Nellie massacre still haunts the Assamese psyche. The media revisited the Nellie story recently when former Express reporter Hemendra Narayan recently released a booklet on Nellie and its coverage 25 years ago.And it also became the occasion for some unabashed rehashing by a journalist. A story on NDTV's portal following the release was an example of this. Nitin A Gokhale, who visited Nellie...
More than one hundred journalists on Friday had their eyes examined at a free eye check-up camp in the premises of Guwahati Press Club(GPC) here. Organized by the GPC in association with reputed eye hospital Sri Sankaradeva Nethraylaya, the entire process was co-ordinated by Mantim Mani Borah from the Nethraylaya. The check-up was conducted under the guidance of Dr Hridayananda Pathak. This was stated in a release issued by the Press Club.
Guwahati Press Club, in cooperation with Sri Sankardev Nethralaya has organized an eye check-up camp for the journalists at the press club premises on 29th February (Friday) next. The camp starts at 9 am, stated a press release issued by Guwahati Press Club.
The students union of Assam has organized a citizen’s meet on the protection of rhino and other wildlife and deportation of illegal migrants from the sanctuary and other forest areas of Assam at Kohora in Kaziranga on Sunday (February 24). Organised by Golaghat District Students’ Union in association with Nagaon District Students’ Union, the meet will begin at 10.30 am. Office bearers of Asom Unnati Sabha, All Assam Students’ Union with other district units, wildlife activists, environmental journalists, intellectuals will participate in the meet. Journalists’ Forum, Assam will also represent the meeting.