Manipur govt urges staff to celebrate Independence Day amidst pressure

Imphal, Aug 14: Between the strike and protests going on in Manipur, the government has asked all state secretariat staffers to attend the Independence Day function in the city tomorrow after insurgent groups in the state gave a call for the celebrations to be boycotted.

[Send I-Day Greetings]

Government employees have been asked to stay back at their offices tonight as public transport services and road networks are likely to be hit due to the boycott call issued by all major militant outfits in the state, official sources said.

Various militant groups from different parts of the Northeastern region have called for boycott of Independence Day celebrations. Instead, they have called for a general strike on the day in the region. The groups include Ulfa (Independent), the anti-talk faction of Ulfa led by Paresh Barua; six militant outfits of Manipur; HNLC - a militant outfit active in Meghalaya, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, National Liberation Force of Tripura and National Liberation Front of Boroland.

Earlier this week, Assam-based journalists group appealed to people to defy the diktat. Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) wants every Indian to celebrate the Independence Day to pay tribute to the martyrs of the freedom struggle, a statement issue here said on Sunday.

The official Independence Day function in the state capital is to be held at the Ist Manipur Rifles' battalion grounds, which is adjacent to the secretariat.

Police and paramilitary forces have already been deployed in the city while combing operations were launched in areas close to the state capital to detect movement of insurgents, sources said.

Sniffer dogs are being used to detect any likely explosives which may have been planted along the Imphal river bank, close to the venue of tomorrow's function.

Checking by patrolling parties is being carried out in several parts of Imphal and surrounding areas, sources said, adding that all police and security stations in the state have been put on alert.

With inputs from PTI.

OneIndia News