Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 10 2009:
As in previous years, Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO), Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) and United Liberation Front of Asom (UNLF) have announced boycott of Independence Day celebration of India and called a general strike on
August 15 .
In a joint statement made available to the press, the five organisations called upon the people of Northeast region to boycott and prevent celebration of India's Independence Day on August 15 as a mark of solidarity against the occupation and military repression.
On this day, a general strike shall be observed throughout the region from 1 am to 6.30 pm, the joint statement announced.
The joint statement further said, ''In previous years, we have observed that despite negative internal factors, the liberation struggles in the region are moving ahead while India's 'cease-fires' and 'peace talks', without any basis for a satisfactory political solution of the conflict as supplementary means to military repression for defeating the struggles have exposed their own failure''.
The return of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) to the fold of liberation struggle has set the trend to defeat India's game plan, the joint statement said, while asserting that now the National liberation struggles should be consolidated, strengthened and intensified while the fragmentation of the region on exclusive ethnic lines under the Indian system should give way to a dialectical process of inclusive unity based on the region's Independent existence.
The joint statement went on to say 'we would again emphasise the historical responsibility of the National liberation struggles in the region to consolidate the unity of their respective people sincerely respecting the emotional aspects of genuine ethnic aspirations while such ethnic aspirations should become inclusive towards interdependence and co-existence.
This is a historical necessity as determined by the reality of our region which is home to about two hundred ethnic groups, the joint added.
'Keeping faith in the collective wisdom and strength of the entire people of the region, we once again appeal to our people to display solidarity against the occupation of the region by India, the common enemy, by making the boycott and general strike a complete success', the joint statement exhorted.