GUWAHATI, Aug 16 � Guwahatians defied the diktats of the militant organizations once again and celebrated the 65th Independence Day of the country with much enthusiasm. The people held community functions in various localities to hoist the National Tricolour in a befitting manner.
On the Guwahati Press Club campus, a function was organised by a group of journalists teaming up with some senior citizens, to hoist the National Flag. Senior journalist Ranen Kumar Goswami hoisted the flag and made an appeal to the people to come forward in great numbers to defeat the forces of terror and secession that have been working at the instance of the enemy countries. A resolute struggle against the forces of terrorism and secessionism is the call of the hour, Goswami said.
The senior journalist was also critical of the role of a section of the media, which has been trying to scare away the people from celebrating the country�s National Days and thus magnifying the power of the forces of terror and
secession.
Later, participants of the function took out a procession and paraded the GNB Road between the Press Club and the Reserve Bank point.
Noted educationist and former Principal of Cotton College Prof Dilip Kumar Barua hoisted the National Tricolour in a function organised by the Jatiya Divas Udjapan Mancha, an umbrella organisation of about 13 organisations and institutions of the Greater Kumarpara area of the city at the Kumarpara Pachali. In his address, Prof Barua made an appeal to the young generation to work for the prosperity of the downtrodden sections of the people.
He further said that youths of NE region should realize that opportunities are available for them all over the country to excel in life. They should not allow their visions to be restricted within the geographical limits of their own region. In the process, the distracting negative news reports of the media too should not be allowed to engross their psyche, he said emphatically.
Schoolchildren of Angels� English School, Oakland English School and Haripriya Vidyapeeth actively took part in the function. They sang patriotic songs and performed patriotic dances.
At Paltan Bazar Netaji Chowk, former MLA Ajay Dutta hoisted the National Flag at a function organised jointly by the Paltan Bazar Nagarik Samiti, Paltan Bazar Byabasayee Samiti and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha.
Noted actor Biju Phukan hoisted the National Tricolour at a function, organised on the occasion, by the Bharat Mata Pujan Samiti on the south bank of Dighalipukhuri. The function was also addressed by noted litterateur Gagan Chandra Adhikari.
The parents of the Kargil martyr Captain Jintu Gogoi were felicitated at the function and garlands were placed at the portraits of the Bharat Mata and Captain Jintu Gogoi.
The Bharat Bikash Parishad celebrated the Independence Day at its Uzanbazar Sati Radhika Path office. In the function, the National Tricolour was hoisted by noted playwright Arup Chakravorty. Former Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry) Rudra Goswami and social worker Anima Hazarika also addressed the function.
Reports of I-Day celebrations from various parts of the city, like Ulubari GS Road area, Athgaon SJ Road and a good number of apartments have also been pouring in.
It needs mention here that a few city-based journalists teamed up with some leading citizens in January 1998 to launch a consistent campaign against the terror threats to the people, which had been scaring the masses away from the celebrations of the National Days of the country.
Since then, these journalists, along with the like-minded fellow Guwahatians, have been continuing with their campaign against the attempts of the militant groups to stall the popular initiatives for celebrating the National Days of the country. Now, this campaign has been able to win the hearts of the people in growing number and is thus creating quite an upsurge against the militants� diktats proscribing celebration of the National Days.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) celebrated the I-Day with a function at the Rajiv Bhawan here. APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita hoisted the National Tricolour on the occasion. Kalita reminisced the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters in making the country free from the colonial rule, said a press release.