Boycott India’s Independence Day Celebration and Observe General Strike on 15th August 2022.
Joint Statement of NSCN/GPRN, United Liberation Front of Asom [Independent].
The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the socio-economic development of the entire world as well as our WeSEA region and thousands of indigenous farming families have lost their homes due to floods and landslides. Human resources are being wasted due to inadequate utilization and consequently living with self-respect and dignity is now far from reality. After 75 years of so-called independence, the Indigenous are suffering from debt, GST, soaring prices of essential commodities, and a hundred other problems. It is unfair, historically irrelevant, and worthless for a state, which is unable to stand by the suffering people in such a time of declining living standards, to celebrate its 76th pretentious Independence Day on 15th August.
On 15th August 1947, the British maintained illegitimate authority in the West-Southeast Asian [WeSEA] region through the Treaty of Yandaboo and transferred power to a group of their preference. Consequently, a new dark chapter of independence began. Since 1826, there has been a strong and uninterrupted stream of resistance to the ‘National Liberation Revolution’ to disrupt the independent sovereignty of this territory. Therefore, the indigenous people of a separate land rich in glorious history and identity will not accept amenableness status from anyone. The treatment of the indigenous people by the Indian occupying forces and the inhuman repression continued by the warring states for years further justify the deadly struggle for the identity of the indigenous people. Since this territory is the collective right of independent sovereignty and ethnic groups, it can never be wrong for the Indigenous to seek the protection of their inherent rights. Therefore, the heart of India’s political conflict with the region is its independent sovereign living history and the inevitable consequences of decades of rule and exploitation by the colonial Indian state. If we surrender to the colonial states at the expense of our historical political rights or the interests of our nation, land, and foundation; As a result, what will be left for future generations? At the current juncture, the liberation people of this region should understand that the enemy forces are making every effort to destroy or subdue the independent ethnic groups. But it would be appropriate to not want to dig our own graves by dancing like puppets at the beat of their fingers; self-realization is trivial for this aspect. In the 1951 referendum, 99 percent of the Nagas advocated full independence. They even boycotted the first elections in colonial India in 1952 and made their mark in the world. We firmly believe that the representatives of the younger generation are more conscious, aware, and aware of their historical responsibilities than their predecessors.
Therefore, do not push your motherland into the slavery of the occupying Indian rulers and put an ax on your feet. We never want Assam-Nagaland to be subjugated like slaves under the yoke of colonial politics. On the eve of so-called independence, the indigenous peoples of West-South-East Asia [WeSEA] did not want to suffer the shame of independence, so they jumped into the battlefield to regain the sovereignty of their territory. Resolution 4, adopted at the Conference of Tribes of the undivided Assam, Manipur, Tripura, and Hill Plains at the Khasi Darbar in Shillong on 21, 22, and 23 March 1945, was as follows: The people and their inhabitants are ethnically and culturally distinct from other regions of India. Therefore, this conference strongly opposes the annexation of Assam and the tribal areas to either Pakistan or India. The conference also demanded that Assam should be a separate independent state and that its neighboring hill districts should be included. Today, every nation in the region is struggling for independence, which once again proves the rationality of that historic decision of Khasi Darbar.
On the eve of the so-called independence of British-occupied India, Mahatma Gandhi threatened, “Assam must be independent and autonomously governed.” On 19th July 1947, Gandhi assured the then NNC delegation, “The Nagas has their history and full right to independence If you don’t want to stay with India, no one can use force against you.” But, in the changed circumstances, the colonial state of India has been depriving and betraying the glorious independence of this region in the name of false independence under the pretext of constitution, sovereignty, and integrity. In this context, there is no alternative without the ‘United National Liberation Revolution’ to restore the lost independence.
Therefore, we have been opposed to its celebration in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya every year. This year too, we urge all political, non-political, and national parties and the people of Assam and Nagaland as well as Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya at all levels to not participate in all forms of fake ‘Independence Day’ activities and refrain from celebrating it at the individual level.
Our protest calls for a boycott of the fake Independence Day of colonial India will be a total shutdown from 00:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs on 15th August. However, there are no restrictions on emergency departments, media, and religious activities during this period.
Finally, let us make the above shutdown a success for the sake of the secure golden days of the indigenous peoples of Assam and Nagaland and free our nation, land, and foundation from the invasion of the Hindi circle of colonial India.
“Unite to fight against subjugation”
“Let Indian colonialism fall”
“Let our birthright ‘freedom’ be established”
