Republic Day celebrations in Kamrup, Assam.
By Nava Thakuria*
On Republic Day in trouble-torn Manipur, where a large section of people pursue anti-Delhi rhetoric, many areas of Imphal Valley looked deserted as the marketplaces were closed and a few people seemingly came outside their residences on January 26, 2025.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla unfurled the national flag at Kangla Fort in the presence of State Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other dignitaries in Imphal.
The troubled state also witnessed the presence of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, who unfurled the Tri-colour in Imphal. Focusing on 75 years of enactment of the Constitution, Sarkaryavah Hosabale opined that every Indian should strengthen and develop the nation not only a responsibility but a fundamental duty too. He recited the story of Lord Ram, who sacrificed his fundamental right to the throne in Ayodhya to fulfil fundamental duty by accepting a 14-year exile, which exemplifies the precedence of duty over rights.
Defying all odds, including a boycott call by some armed militant outfits, the people of far eastern India celebrated the 76th Republic Day unfurling the Tri-colour paying homage to the known and unknown martyrs of India’s Freedom Movement against the colonial British forces.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while unfurling the Tri-colour in Dibrugarh, announced that the eastern town will soon have a Legislative Assembly complex, where Tezpur will emerge as the State’s cultural capital and Silchar will house a mini secretariat.
Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya unfurled the national flag in Guwahati and paid tributes to the martyrs, where he commented that the State government is committed to maintaining the law and order situation with effective actions against social evils like drug abuse, child marriage and human trafficking.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor KT Parnaik, Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu, Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar, Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh and Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur also offered honour to the Tri-colour and remembered the sacrifices made by countless individuals for the nation in their respective State capitals on Republic Day.
As the Kartavya Path in the national capital witnessed a series of events showcasing India’s military might along with the vibrant cultural heritage in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu and her Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto, most of the north-eastern States accorded the spirit of democracy, integrity and patriotism even though alerted with the anti-national statements issued by armed insurgents who have been waging a war against New Delhi for various homelands.
Resentments against the governments in respective State capitals as well as in New Delhi, anti-India rhetoric and even the diktats from separatist militants could not deter from joining the celebrations aspiring for a powerful nation. The auspicious occasion passed peacefully except for some unfounded reports of bomb blasts in the prehistoric city of Guwahati, which the authorities outrightly rejected.
The militant groups, who once unanimously dictated the residents to boycott Republic Day and Independence Day functions, now split into different factions even in urging the people to avoid the celebration. Denouncing the boycott call by the militant outfits, the nationalist citizens appealed to everyone settling in the region to observe the Republic Day unfurling the Tri-colour in both individual and community-level celebrations. Patriotic Peoples’ Front Assam also reminded that many brave-hearts including 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, and Balaram Sut, laid down their lives for the honour of Tri-colour, adding that the national flag does not belong to the government alone (but the citizens of India) and hence it should be a moral responsibility for every Indian to pay tribute to the martyrs on both R-Day and Independence Day.
Highlighting the spirit, Guwahati-based news channel Da News Plus organized a talk show after saluting the national flag at its premises, where new-generation Indians were appealed to reaffirm their understanding of the Vedic knowledge system while accepting the modern scientific discourses. Moderated by its editorial adviser Professor Dayananda Pathak and joined by journalist-turned-academician Paresh Baishya and this writer, the live discussion also comprised other pertinent issues including due electoral and diplomatic reforms in India. While it was reiterated that the people remain the ultimate authority of a democracy, they should also possess the duty and responsibility per various Constitutional rights. At the same time, the electorates should get a proper road map for selecting their representatives to the Parliament, Legislative Assembly, and local urban and rural bodies with distinctive mandates with high participation. Moreover, the status of diplomats representing India across various nations must be decided based on national interests and not to fulfil any criteria imposed by international forums like the Commonwealth. The participants were unanimous in their views that New Delhi should engage in a diplomatic mission to cater for the needs and aspirations of billion-plus Indians first for asserting its identity as a sovereign nation.
*Senior journalist
