India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Politics » 

North East : Republic Day celebrated amidst calls for boycott

	January 28, 2008

The 59th Republic Day in the North-east was celebrated amidst ritual boycott calls by militant outfits in the region.



In Assam, which often bears the brunt of secessionists, the day was celebrated amidst tight security at the Judges Field, where State Governor Lt. Gen. Ajay Singh (Retd) unfurled the national flag. In view of the militant threat, the parade ground in the capital city wore the look of a fortress.



Apart from the police, the CRPF and the army personnel were involved in securing the Judge’s Field for function where the Governor unfurled the tricolour. In and around the Republic Day venue surveillance cameras were installed and key high-rise buildings in the city were to be under police watch.



Defying threats from rebels and the bone-chilling cold wave, more than 1,000 children from schools and colleges marched around the Court Ground as the police band played patriotic tunes.



Hundreds of schoo lchildren defied the boycott call of the outlawed Ulfa and participated in the Republic Day celebrations while their parents stood guard in Eastern Assam’s Dhemaji dis¬trict. It was also significant because school children had stopped attending Republic Day and Independence Day’s celebra¬tions in Assam after 13 schoolchildren died in a blast on August 15 in 2004 in Dhemaji.



State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters: “It is quite heartening to see people coming to participate in the Republic Day and this shows that militants are losing support among the masses.”



Meanwhile, a 17-hour general strike enforced by separatist rebels on Saturday to boycott the Republic Day celebrations failed to make much impact in the north-eastern states of Manip¬ur, Meghalaya, and Tripura. Security sources said that public and private vehicles were plying normally, with people partici¬pating in the celebrations.





No Assam tableau in R-Day parade, Gogoi orders probe



Assam failed to represent itself at the national level as there was no Assam Tableau in the Grand Parade at Rajpath, in New Delhi. According to an official press release in Guwahati, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked the Chief Secretary to institute a high level inquiry as to why the State’s tableau has not been put up in this year’s Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Chief Secretary P C Sarma has been asked to fix responsibility if any lapse was detected and to file the report forthwith.





ULFA militants surrender, top guns based outside also to lay down arms



A batch of 38 Ulfa militants of various ranks surrendered at the Army’s Tamulpur base, but the chief of the Tezpur-headquartered 4 Corps seemed more excited about the prospect of some “very senior leaders” coming aboard soon.



Lt Gen. B.S. Jaswal did not reveal the identities of the militants who were in the queue, citing “security reasons”. The names of those who surrendered were not announced either.

The general said the militants who had sent feelers about their willingness to surrender were mostly based “outside”, though he did not specify which country.



As on previous occasions, Lt Gen. Jaswal did not miss the opportunity to say that Ulfa’s mass base was no longer what it was. “When there is disillusionment among cadres within the outfit, the struggle for so-called freedom will fizzle out on its own. It is just a matter of time.”



The militants, including a “sergeant major”, deposited 26 pistols and revolvers, 30kg of explosives, 18 grenades and as¬sorted ammunition.



It was the third largest parade of surrendered militants in recent months. A group of 33 militants laid down arms on October 23 at the same army base and 66 more did so at the 4th Assam Police Battalion headquarters in Kahilipara, Guwahati, on Novem¬ber 1.



Lt Gen. Jaswal said the Adivasi National Liberation Army, which has lately been involved in attacks such as the one on the Rajdhani Express in Golaghat district, was trying to garner support from Maoist rebels outside the state, especially Jhark¬hand.



Director-General of Police R.N. Mathur and home commissioner Rajib Bora were present at the surrender ceremony.