Dimapur, January 24 (MExN): The United Liberation Front of WeSEA (UNLFW), Coordination Committee (CorCom) of Manipur, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) have called for a shutdown of the Northeast region from 12.01 am to 6 pm on Tuesday.
"We call upon the citizens to put out a strong, clear message and protest against the imposed celebration of the Republic day in our West Eastern South East Asia (WESEA). We call for a total shutdown of our region from 00.01 hrs to 18 hrs of January 26," the joint statement mailed to the media said.
However, Emergency services, media and religious activities have been kept out of the shutdown's purview.
Pointing to the Republic Day celebrations in the region, the four organisations stated that citizens of WeSEA were being “imposed upon” to observe the same. “In pushing for the totality of the Indian Dominion, the GOl is pursuing a hegemonic colonial policy in our region to assimilate all our distinct culture, people and territories to India forever,” the organisations maintained.
Stressing that the people of the region have suffered “hatred and discrimination from caste ridden Indian racism,” the groups noted that “Indian strategists are finding and exploiting fault lines” of the region while “pursuing a policy of divide and rule.”
They accused the Indian establishment of using all its military might in suppressing the struggle for the right to self-determination of the indigenous peoples. “These days to conform to the UN provisions of resolving issues with dialogue, peace talks have been oft repeated. But, the unmistakable diplomatic sly is, ‘Peace within the frame work of Indian Constitution,’” the statement further maintained, and that “our chance” out of this is to “nurture WeSEA compact with a positive symbiosis with innovative and modern federated geo-political identity.”
Calling upon all citizens to introspect and analyse Indian policy in the region, the four groups expressed that there was no reason for WESEA to honour India’s Republic Day.
