Even though public responses to the boycott calls have been declining, many separatist militant outfits in Northeast India continue to call for a boycott of Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations. Following a decades-long tradition, some of these banned armed outfits called for a complete shutdown in the region (which they often refer to as the western part of Southeast Asia) on August 15, 2023. They strongly urged the people of northeast India to avoid all celebrations related to the 77th Independence Day.
However, it is unclear whether these boycott calls are still having any impact on the region’s 60 million residents. This year, millions of people participated in the Independence Day celebrations with full patriotic fervor, openly defying the militants’ diktat.
All the chief ministers of the northeastern states took the lead in hoisting the national flag in their respective state capitals. They paid homage to all the martyrs and freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against British imperialism to make India a sovereign nation. They also highlighted the welfare schemes and future plans for their states in their addresses to the people.
In the past, both Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations were met with a very low response from the common people due to the relentless threats from a large number of militant outfits. The entire region would be deserted, with public places like markets, businesses, and private offices closed and no vehicles plying on the roads. For many people, these days were simply holidays to stay home and avoid any unwanted (sometimes violent) incidents.
However, a small group of unarmed Assamese journalists and patriotic citizens defied the armed rebels’ diktat and hoisted the national flag at the city press club premise to remember the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs. They asserted that the sacrifices of Piyali Phukan, Maniram Dewan, Piyali Barua, Kanaklata Barua, Mukunda Kakoti, Kushal Konwar, Tilak Deka, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Nidhanu Rajbangshi, Kamala Miri, Lerela Boro, Madan Barman, Rauta Kachari, Hemoram Patar, Gunavi Bordoloi, Thagi Sut, and Balaram Sut must not be forgotten.
Today, more and more people are choosing to celebrate Independence Day and Republic Day with utmost conviction to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of known and unknown martyrs. As the ethnic insurgents have lost their support base in recent decades, their mentors in the media have also disappeared, thanks to the aggressive social media outbursts against those self-centered intellectuals. The small initiative of those brave individuals has finally attracted more and more like-minded citizens to join in the celebrations, both in community and government functions.
A group of nationalist citizens also encouraged the people to defy the militants’ diktat on Independence Day and Republic Day. Denouncing the diktat, the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) insists on paying respect to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the noble cause by saluting the national flag, which represents the sacrifice of millions of known and unknown martyrs during the freedom movement.
Referring to the Manipur-based armed groups Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), PREPAK-Pro, Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and United National Liberation Front (UNLF), which also issued the diktat at a time of turmoil that has resulted in the killing of over 180 people, destruction of many public and private properties, and displacement of over 50,000 people to date, the PPFA asserted that it was most unwanted, particularly when both houses of Parliament extensively debated the matter and the lawmakers (including Prime Minister Narendra Modi) unanimously expressed their concern over the ongoing ethnic violence.
The forum opined that the patriotic citizens of Manipur, regardless of their religion or ethnic identity, should come forward and defy the militants’ diktat by saluting the national flag as a gesture. They said that the Tricolour does not belong to the government or political parties in power alone, but to every proud Indian.
And in reality, that is what happened. The patriotic citizens of Manipur, in particular, and northeast India, in general, came out to celebrate the auspicious festival in a peaceful way. The separatist militants need to realize that the people of Manipur have changed their mindset in the recent past, slowly but steadily.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Northeast Now.