NE UGs call for R-Day boycott
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 21, 2012:
The Coordination Committee of Manipur's seven UG groups, HNLC, KLO, NLFT, TPDF and ULFA have jointly called for mass boycott of the Republic Day Celebration on January 26, 2012 as a mark of resistance against Indian Occupation of the NE Region.
The NE UGs in a joint press release stated that "The Republic Day Celebration serves to legitimize a veiled form of colonial oppression that we are determined to eject from our region and since the peoples of our region are not Indian, there is no reason to take part in this celebration", added that the people of North East have every right and reason to fight against and overthrow Indian Colonial Regime to regain the lost Sovereignty and Independence.
"To make this resistance of our people meaningful, and to convey a resolute message to the Indian establishment that their hegemony over our region and its people are not being tolerated and will not pass unchallenged, we solicit our peoples to observe a general shut-down to show our solidarity." The mass boycott will be effective from 01:00 Hrs to 17:30 Hrs on 26 January 2012."During these hours, all trade and commercial activities, all forms of public entertainment and all kinds of public and private transportations must not be operated" it stated while adding that emergency and essential services, media and religious activities will be exempted from the purview of the boycott.
"We urge everyone in our region to lend unflinching support to our call so that this spontaneous upsurge will force the oppressor India to realize the truth that it is high time for them to do politically decent things and withdraw from our region" it added.