Spirit of Swatantra Bharat
As we are observing the 75 years of India’s independence and the forthcoming Independence Day is going to witness millions of Tri-colours hoisted across Bharat, lets remember a small group of journalists and Guwahati-based patriots who marched on a street of the city to celebrate the auspicious day defying the militants’ diktat. Their dream has turned into reality today as hundred thousand proud residents of northeast India are eagerly waiting to salute the Tri-colour and pay heartfelt admiration to the martyrs and freedom fighters. Two decades back, when a number of separatist armed militant outfits imposed a general strike on the day (that was the way the ethnic insurgents made them visible in the public domain continuing their decadeslong armed struggle against New Delhi) the entire city wore a deserted look. Markets, business centers, private vehicles and even the roads were empty as the militants, through their media statements (which were published with special focus in the local morning newspapers), threatened the people not to join the observation.
The group raising a single national flag (Tri-colours were unavailable at that time in the market and even the people did not keep the flag in residences as it was then assumed as a volatile article to procure from any sources) marched from Ambari to the bank of historic Dighalipukhuri. The event was admired by many even though the editors of newspapers (private news channels were yet to fully bloom in the region) were visibly reluctant to appreciate the group of people who came to the street defying the diktat of anti-national elements. Prior to I-Day or Republic Day, the editors (or concerned reporters) were however eagerly waiting for the statement from separatist militants boycotting the auspicious days. It always made newspaper headlines, but when the brave and patriotic citizens tried to raise voices against the militants’ diktat, the same editors treated it as an unwanted item. So when the small group of patriots started observing the sacred days by hoisting & unfurling the Tri-colour, most of the editors either avoided the news or gave it an insignificant space.
The situation did not improve, even when the Assamese satellite news channels entered into the scenario after some years. Rather they started often misrepresenting and disrespecting the spirit. As usual, the news channels repeated the militant’s version ‘why celebration of I-Day and R-Day was useless’ prior to both the revered occasions. Many news channels later made it possible for some top militant leaders to address their audience ‘live’. The reporters, equipped with high resolution cameras, callously asked the students what were their programs on I-Day and R-Day (as those were simple holidays because of the militant’s imposed total shut down), but they did not simply remember that Birbala Kanaklata sacrificed her life for the same Tri-colour.
For some time, a large number of outlawed militant outfits declared a general strike across the region on both national days and called upon the people to boycott the celebration. But braving the gun-toting militants’ threat, Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) appealed to the north-eastern people to celebrate both the days defying the militants’ decree. JFA argued that a number of martyrs from Assam including Piyali Phukan, Maniram Dewan, Piyali Barua, etc stepped up movements against British domination. Extraordinarily brave 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. Today, everyone prefers to celebrate both the auspicious days with utmost conviction to pay tributes to hundreds of thousands of known & unknown martyrs who laid their lives for a sovereign nation. The ethnic insurgents have lost their support bases in the last few years and their mentors in the media have also disappeared, thanks to the aggressive social media outbursts against those self-centered intellectuals in the recent past. The small group of Guwahatians deserve appreciation as their indominiant spirit added colour to the celebration of Swatantra Bharat, which has spreaded across the alienated region.
By Naba Thakuria
