CorCom urged the people to boycott the “forceful celebration” of the day, take the day off and stay at home. “Let us show unity against the imperialist Government of India which is challenging us,” it
TFM Desk
The proscribed umbrella outfit Coordination Committee (CorCom) has declared an 18-hour total shutdown on January 26, from midnight till 6 pm, boycotting the 73rd Republic Day of India.
A release by the Publicity Committee of CorCom on Friday urged the people to boycott the “forceful celebration” of the day, take the day off and stay at home. “Let us show unity against the imperialist Government of India which is challenging us,” it said.
Essential service including religious activities, medical, fire services etc will be exempted from the purview of the total shutdown, it added.
Asserting that Manipur (Kangleipak) was forcefully annexed by India, CorCom contended that the celebration of Republic Day by the “imperialist” Government of India is meant to flex its muscle, showing that the people of the land can still be repressed. It is not a Republic Day, it is a “Colonial Day”, it added.
Maintaining that the recent Oting massacre was carried out with an agenda that the people of WESEA can be repressed by terrorising them, CorCom asserted that even if AFSPA were to be repealed such massacres will continue to occur as long as such an agenda exists.
The proscribed umbrella outfit further said that even after 73 years, the basic rights of the people are not delivered until the masses come out to the streets.
“India’s democracy is based on ‘far, off, buy the people’, instead of ‘for, of, by the people’,” it added.
Decrying the distribution of money and illicit substances, including drugs and alcohol during the time of election, CorCom said such practices have taken a toll on the people. As long as Manipur is a part of India, such practices cannot be culled, CorCom said and added that the “colonial policy” to annihilate small communities can only be fought with an “armed war for independence”.
Criticizing the display of various weapons at the Republic Day parade along with the March past by the Indian military, CorCom contended that the day is a “Military Day” for the Indian Army, and not Republic Day. In short, today’s India is not that of Mahatma Gandhi’s but that of Hitler’s, it said.
Stating that the Constitution of India was adopted on January 26, 1950, to check the abuse of power against the people of India, CorCom contended that the same constitution has been used to abuse the rights of the Indians. The people now fear the government, instead of the other way around, it added.
According to the National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) around half of the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal cases against them, the release stated, while adding that it only proves that India is a “Potemkin Democracy”.
Stating that India is becoming a society ruled by the military, CorCom said that the many retired officers of Indian security forces are holding important positions in the government. It has been evident from past instances that the Indian military has no “moral compass”, leading to various instances of human rights abuse, CorCom said and added that the recent Oting massacre is a manifestation of that.
The proscribed umbrella outfit also maintained that the Indian Army was established by the imperialist British to do their biddings. As such their display as a festival on the Republic Day, which is supposed to be the celebration of democracy, is quite contrary. The independence of India was not attained because of them waging war against the British. They were established to suppress the movements of Indians. CorCom appealed to the people not to take part in the Republic Day celebration by the Government of India, which CorCom said is responsible for the IOF.