Defying all odds, including a boycott call by some armed militant outfits, the people of far eastern Bharat celebrated the 76th Republic Day unfurling the Tri-colour paying homage to the known and unknown martyrs of India’s Freedom Movement against the colonial British forces. Resentments against the governments in respective State capitals as well as in New Delhi, anti-India rhetoric and even the diktats from separatist militants could not deter in joining the celebrations aspiring for a powerful nation, which is definitely a Biswa Mitra (if not immediately can emerge as Biswa Guru), a guiding light for the human race with its legacy, culture and environment-friendly natures. The auspicious occasion passed peacefully except some unfounded reports of bomb blasts in the prehistoric city of Guwahati, which the authorities had out rightly rejected. Many areas of Imphal valley in Manipur looked deserted as the marketplaces were closed and a few people seemingly came outside their residences on 26 January 2025.
As the Kartavya Path in the national capital witnessed a series of events showcasing the military might of Bharat along with the vibrant cultural heritage in the gracious presence of President Droupadi Murmu and her Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto, the respective Governors across the country unfurled the national flag at the State capitals. Most of the north-eastern States accorded the spirit of democracy, integrity and patriotism even though alerted with the anti-national statements issued by north-eastern armed insurgents who have been waging a war against New Delhi for various homelands.
The militant groups, who once unanimously dictated the residents to boycott R-Day and Independence Day functions, have now split to different factions even in urging the people to avoid the celebration. Manipur-based six banned outfits under the banner of ‘Coordination Committee’ called for a total shutdown on 26 January starting from midnight to 6 pm to boycott any celebration related to R-Day. The outlawed organizations namely Kangleipak Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, PREPAK-Pro, Revolutionary People’s Front, and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) also criticized New Delhi to convert Manipur into ‘a militarized state’ and nurturing ‘proxy insurgency’ to divide & suppress the voice of indigenous people. In a separate statement, another banned outfit named Socialist Revolutionary Party Kangleipak imposed a shutdown on Sunday from 4 am to 5 pm asking the people to boycott the celebrations in Manipur.
On the other hand, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland/Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland and the United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) called for boycotting relevant functions in Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, where they imposed a general strike from 1 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Opposing the ‘colonial Indian Republic Day’, the outfits asked all political & non-political, community organizations and freedom-aspiring people to refrain from attending any celebration during the period. However, essential services like healthcare, electricity, fire-brigade, water supplies, media, etc were exempted from the shutdown.
Denouncing the boycott call by the militant outfits, a forum of nationalist citizens appealed to everyone settling in the region to observe the R-Day unfurling the Tri-colour in both individual and community level observation. Patriotic Peoples’ Front Assam also reminded that a number of brave-hearts including Kanaklata Barua, Mukunda Kakoti, Kushal Konwar, Tilak Deka, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Nidhanu Rajbangshi, Kamala Miri, Lerela Boro, Madan Barman, Rauta Kachari, Hemoram Patar, Gunavi Bordoloi, Thagi Sut, Balaram Sut, etc laid down their lives for the honour of Tri-colour, adding that the national flag does not belong to the government alone (but the citizens of Bharat) and hence it should be a moral responsibility for each and every Bharatiya to pay tribute to the martyrs honouring the Tri-colour on R-Day and I-Day.
Assam Guv Lakshman Prasad Acharya, while unfurling the national flag and paying tributes to the martyrs, commented that the State government is committed to maintain the law & order situation with effective actions against social evils like drug abuse, child marriage and human trafficking. In the trouble torn Manipur, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale unfurled the Tri-colour in Imphal West locality, where he emphasized on nurturing the unity and responsibilities among the citizens of Bharat. Focusing on 75 years of enactment of the Constitution, Sarkaryavah Hosabale opined that every Bharatiya should strengthen and develop the nation not only a responsibility but a fundamental duty too. Reciting the story of Lord Ram, who sacrificed his fundamental right to the throne in Ayodhya with an aim to fulfill fundamental duty by accepting a 14-year exile, exemplifies the precedence of duty over rights.
Highlighting the spirit, Guwahati-based popular news channel Da News Plus organized a talk show after saluting the national flag at its premises, where new generation Indians were appealed to reaffirm their understanding about the Vedic knowledge system while accepting the modern scientific discourses. Moderated by its chief editor Professor Dayananda Pathak and joined by journalist turned academician Paresh Baishya and this writer, the live discussion also comprised other pertinent issues including due electoral and diplomatic reforms in India. While it was reiterated that the people remain the ultimate authority of a democracy, they should also possess the duty & responsibility in accordance with various constitutional rights. At the same time, the electorates should get a proper road map for selecting their representatives to the Parliament, legislative assembly, local urban & rural bodies with distinctive mandates with a high participation. Moreover, the status of diplomats representing India across various nations must be decided on the basis of national interests and definitely not to fulfill any criteria imposed by international forums like the Commonwealth. The participants were unanimous in their views that New Delhi should engage a diplomatic mission to cater the needs & aspirations of billion-plus Indians first for asserting its identity as a sovereign nation.
