Imphal, June 15: Decks have been cleared to observed the Great June Uprising Day in commemoration of the 18 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of territorial integrity of Manipur during the 2001 anti NSCN(I-M)-India Government ceasefire extension to Manipur on June 18.The observance will be held on June 18 under the aegis of United Committee Manipur (UCM) as usual at the sacred Kekrupat Martyrs� Memorial Complex where the mortal remains of the martyrs have been put to rest.

Devotional songs by various communities living in Manipur and paying of rich floral tribute as well as guard of honour to the martyrs will mark the day.

Announcing the itinerary of the function at a press briefing this afternoon, UCM general secretary Yumnam Dillip appealed to the people to take part in paying floral tributes to the martyrs.

He informed that the function would commence from 3 am with the rendering of Yakairol, from 6.30 am onwards and various communities would be rendering devotional songs during which the family members of the martyrs would be allowed to pay floral tributes to the departed souls.

At 8 am a general salute and guard of honour would be accorded to the martyrs after which the main function of the observance will begin with VIPs and UCM representatives taking the dais.

He further informed that unlike in the previous years, fuel for all the vehicles which would be pressed into service transporting people would not be supplied at the UCM office this time.

Instead, UCM had already distributed token flags, car flags, donation coupons etc, to all its Units and PROs and the money collected from the public would be utilized for the purpose, he said.

Prior to announcement of the itinerary, UCM president Sapamcha Jadumani while giving a clarion call for unity and harmony among the people to face the onslaught of divisive forces which are at play, said that one should be ready to sacrifice his/her life for the sake of the land and not for the organization.

Without the unity of the people, nothing can be achieved.

It was this unity among different groups of people living in Manipur in voicing their reservation against the extension of cease-fire to Manipur that the India Government had to retract its decision.

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