India: JFA Appeals For I-Day Celebration In Assam

Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has appealed to the people of Assam and northeast India to celebrate the forthcoming Independence Day (I-Day) defying the diktat of the militants. In a press statement, issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria, the forum argues that both I-Day and Republic Day are two auspicious occasions for every patriotic Indian to pay their respect to hundred thousand martyrs of India’s Freedom Movement.

Mentionable is that the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) with many other outfits of the region have as usual called for a general strike on August 15. Others who have joined the chorus for boycotting the forthcoming I-Day celebrations include Tripura Peoples’ Democratic Front, National Liberation Front of Tripura, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Ranjan Daimary faction), Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council with the Coordination Committee of Manipur’s seven militant outfits.

However, the journalist forum has invited the city based journalists, newspaper-news channel employees and patriotic citizens to attend the National flag hoisting ceremony on Wednesday morning (11 am) in Guwahati Press Club premises.

At the same time, the forum has strongly condemned the attack on media persons in Mumbai yesterday by a section of demonstrators, who gathered at Azad maidan to raise voices against the violence in west Assam.

“In a democratic country like India, the demonstrators have every right to raise voices with non-violent ways. But it should (must) not indulge violence. And in no way, the journalists and media persons on duty should be targeted,” stated in the release.

The JFA appeals the Maharashtra government and also the Union home ministry to adequately compensate the affected media persons and media houses.