Northeast-based militant groups call to boycott Independence Day celebrations separately

Major militant groups in the Northeast have issued the customary call to boycott the Independence Day celebrations and hold a general strike from midnight of Friday.

Interestingly, the boycott call was issued seperately, first by six militant groups based in Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya on Tuesday and then by United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), which are still out of the talk process and are carrying out armed fight.

Normally, most of these groups issue a joint statement just before Independence Day and Republic Day for the boycott call together. But the seperate statements for boycotting the Independence Day has made security analysts believe some kind of divisions among the rebel groups.

The statement issued on Tuesday was signed by leaders of Assam and North Bengal-based Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO), Karbi People’s Democratic Council of Karbilongri (PDCK), Manipur-based Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kanglei Yawol kanna Lup (KYKL), Tripura’s National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) and Meghalaya-based organisation Hynniutrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).

Leaders of Ulfa (I) and NSCN (anti-talks) signed the statement issued on Wednesday.

"We the people of the region, henceforth should be addressed as, Western South East Asia [WeSEA], unitedly resolute in fulfilling our birth rights and restore our ancestral Nationhood outside the political entity. The colonial Indian Independence day is not a day of freedom of our people but of bondage. Hence, we call upon our people not to take part in celebrating it voluntarily or under duress. Any form of duress or force should be recorded if possible. On an audio-video format and release through BitChute/New Tube sites," said the ULFA (I) and NSCN statement emailed to DH on Wednesday.

It also called for a total shutdown of all commercial activities, administrative services and educational institutions between midnight of August 14 to 6 pm of August 15, barring the most-essential and emergency services.

State governments across Northeast has issued SOPs for celebrations of the Independence Day amid the coronavirus pandemic and also stepped up security measures to foil any subversive activities by the militant groups.