Assam changes flag hoisting venue ahead of RD

The Assam State Government on Friday informed the High Court that they have decided to organise the flag hoisting ceremony for the coming Republic Day at Veterinary College playground in Khanapara. Alike Red Fort in Delhi, the Judges’ Field in Assam used to be the place where the chief ministers and governors hoisted the national flag since Independence on every Republic and Independence Day. But the state government was compelled to change its traditional venue for flag hoisting due to a time-devised bomb blast triggered by the banned ULFA during the Independence Day celebrations a few years back.

The venue then shifted to the Latasil playground in front of the Guwahati High Court. But opposing the decision of the government, senior sports organiser Pulin Das and eight others have filed a written petition bearing No. WP(C) 224/2011 at the Guwahati High Court. They are showing the reason that due to the official celebrations, the players get disturbed regarding their practice for months. So it should be shifted to some other place.

Meanwhile, the police administration has ordered the Superintends of Police of all the districts to intensify their vigilance in the respective districts so that no sabotage activities can be carried out by the extremist organisations. Intelligence sources said that the ULFA might target the upper Assam areas and train tracks of the state to prove their existence on the eve of the Republic Day. The Northeastern Frontier Railway has re-scheduled the timing of various trains and restricted the journey during the night. In sensitive areas, joint police and Army operations were intensified to nab the anti-talked fraction of the ULFA and the NDFB.

On the other hand, stepping a significant move before the Republic Day, the anti-talked fraction of the ULFA deputy publicity secretary Arunudoi Dohotia sent an e-mail to the media late on Friday night saying that all the ULFA members have changed their surnames and now onwards they will write it as ‘Asom’. The e-mail further said that it will 'strengthen' the process of formation of the Assamese community. Now onwards, the names of the leaders will be like 'commander-in-charge Paresh Asom', 'deputy publicity secretary Arunudoi Asom' and so on.