12 northeast militant groups call to boycott Independence Day celebrations

Imphal, Aug 11 : Twelve militant groups of northeast today called upon the people of the region to boycott the Independence day celebration. They also called upon the people to observe a general strike from midnight till 1730 hrs that day. All the twelve outfits-- Hynnitrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup (KYKL), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), National Liberation Front of Twipara (NLFT), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak/Progressive [PREPAK(Pro), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF), United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and United People's Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) issued a joint statement in this regard. Essential services like medical, electricity, water supply, fire services and the Press shall be exempted from the purview of the strike. The statement added, ''India Government is trying to lure the people and the freedom fighters in the name of peace. We have experienced futile promises of India Government in Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, etc. and present process of peace talks in Assam and Nagaland is nothing but dilly-dallying to our struggle of national self-determination.'' It also said, ''Genuine freedom fighters cannot be lured by any prize and it is wrong deed to compromise our genuine cause with personal interest. Sovereignty is the utmost obligation of a Nation, it is the most valuable thing than any prizes thus cannot be replaced by anything.''