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General
Strike overshadows Independence Day
Imphal, August 15
General strike called by the underground organizations
overshadows the Indian Independence Day celebrations on August
15.
Life in
five of the seven northeastern states was paralysed, with at
least 12 militant groups calling for a 17-hour shutdown,
according to a report in a news agency.
In
Guwahati,
shops remained closed and the streets wore a deserted look with
most private vehicles keeping off the roads. The
shutdown
also hit most parts of Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya
states, officials there said.
In
Nagaland, people had raised white flags all over the state at
the request of Church leaders. "The white flag is a symbol
of peace and on this day let us all pray that permanent peace
prevails in the region", V.K. Nuh, head of the Council of
Naga Baptist Churches, the apex church body in Nagaland, told
the news agency from Kohima.
More
than 100,000 security personnel were deployed across the
northeast region for Independence Day, which underground
organizations have traditionally marked with attacks on key
installations and the security forces. Security has been
tightened in anticipation of attack of underground
organizations. In Assam, the police have cancelled all trains
after sunset. There have already been reports of sporadic
violence in other areas of the northeast. In Assam's, north
Kachar hills, one vehicle was fired upon by a militant group,
the United People's Democratic Solidarity.
The
underground organisations organising the strike had warned of
"stern action" against anyone taking part in the
official holiday celebrations.
(August 15 : 11 AM)
Address
of Isac Swu on ‘Naga Independence Day’
Imphal,
August 15 : The chairman of the NSCN (IM) Isak Chisu Swu
addressed the Naga people on the occasion of the ‘Naga
Independence Day’ yesterday. August 14 is celebrated by the
Naga underground organizations as Naga Independence Day for a
long time. In his address, he expressed regret that the
neighbours of Nagas have misunderstood them and their history.
He reiterated that the Nagas would defend their inherent right
to decide who and what they will be. At no point of time the
Nagas have been subjugated by their neighbouring nations, and
there is no history on record that the Nagas have intruded on
other people’s territory for grabbing their land, he said. He
maintained that land and freedom are inseparable parts for a
people’s existence and said the Nagas defended their land and
freedom because these are the basis of their life. He paid
homage to Mahatma Gandhi, who recognized the rights of the Nagas.
He also expressed gratitude to successive Indian Prime Ministers
who have acknowledged that the Indo-Naga issue is political.
(August 15 : 9 AM)
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