Citizen group Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) appealed to the citizens of Northeast to hoist the National flag on August 15 and pay respect to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to make India a sovereign nation.
In an official statement, the citizen group said, “Irrespective of who we are; how we come to become part of the Indian Union; it is our duty to pay respect to them who laid down their lives to free us all from the clutches of British colonial forces.”
“The appeal has been sent without any prejudice whatsoever and without any disrespect to any individual or groups that have been fighting a battle of identity and self-determination, but is a reminder that we must not forget our common history, when we stood together to fight our battle for freedom,” the statement further added.
The PPFA said that it is due to the martyrs that the present day individuals and organizations are fighting for equal rights and special concessions in terms of reservation quotas, grants, special area development funds and other forms of socio-political and economic advantages.
“The likes of Moje Riba, Matmur Jamoh, Kushal Konwar, Tilak Deka, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Kanaklata Barua, Mukunda Kakati, Nidhanu Rajbangshi, Kamala Miri, Lerela Boro, Madan Rauta, Hemoram Patar, Gunabhi Bordoloi, Sambhudan Phonglo, Beer Tikendrajit Singh, Paona Brajabashi, Tirot Singh, Shoorvir Pasaltha Khuangchera, Rani Gaidinliu, Jitendra Chandra Paul etc of our region, who fought selflessly against the exploitative and abusive imperial power that ruled undivided India, must not be forgotten,” the group added.
“The sacrifices will keep reminding us that while we all have our own identities and fight our own struggles with the establishment that governs, we must stand together to thwart all imperialist designs which would only divide us and lead us all towards destruction. Our social-ethnic fabric is rich with history and stories of bravery, which have all played a significant part in shaping our present. Therefore, without any contraction we must exercise our rational thinking first and pay our respects to the freedom fighter by saluting the tricolour,” the note said.
