Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 21 2010:
Several underground outfits operating in the North East region have called a general strike on January 26 in the entire region to boycott the Republic Day celebration which they say is a symbolic rejection of India's Constitution.
A joint statement issued by the Kamtapur Liberation Organisaton (KLO), Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), National Liberation of Twipra (NLFT), Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) said that the general strike will begin from 1 am of January 26 and end at 5.30 am.
The general strike would cover all forms of transportation and movement of all kinds of vehicles, all forms of entertainments including cinema shows and all activities of trade and commerce.
However, the media, medical services and religious functions would be exempted from the purview of the general strike.
The outfits appeal to the peoples of the region to remain indoors during the general strike.
India's Republic Day is the day the Indian constitution was imposed in the region sixty years ago as their legal instrument of alien rule, they alleged.
They went on to say that this alien constitution wrought havoc in the North East region creating all sorts of social, cultural and political disharmony, all in the name of democracy.
"There is no alternative to fighting against Indian rule so as to regain our sovereignty and independence an survive as distinct people.
If we fight we survive and if we don't, we perish", the outfit asserted.
Asserting that sovereignty is the only issue of the conflict between the North East region and India, the insurgent outfits maintained that this conflict can be satisfactorily resolved only when the core issue is addressed, either by a plebiscite or by voluntary recognition of the peoples' aspirations by the Government of India.
But New Delhi has been only creating divisions and factions within the struggle through so-called peace talks.
"It is time we learnt this historical lesson so that we do not fail in the same pit again", said the statement.
The outfits further called upon the peoples of the region to stand firm on the issue of sovereignty and independence which is the only path to 'our salvation and existence with human dignity'.
It also appealed to all the peoples and organisations to boycott the Republic Day celebration in the region.