IMPHAL, January 21: CorCom, a united body of seven underground organization of Manipur, the Hynnewtrep National Liberation Council, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, National Liberation Front of Twipra, Tripura People’s Democratic Front and United Liberation Front of Assam have jointly called for mass boycott of the Republic Day celebration on January 26 as a mark of resistance against ‘Indian occupation of our region’.
In a joint statement, the groups said 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. We have every right and reason to fight against and overthrow Indian colonial regime to regain our 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.
This will be effective from 1 am to 5. 30 pm on January 26. During these hours, all trade and commercial activities, all forms of public entertainment and all kinds of public and private transportations must not operate in our region, the statement said. However, emergency measures, essential services, media and religious activities are exempted from its purview, it added.
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, the statement stated.