26 January is Australia Day (to some, 'Invasion Day'), which commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788. 26 January in India is Republic Day (a different kind of 'Invasion Day' to some), which commemorates the coming into effect of the Constitution of India in 1950.
I was half-jokingly saying online that in Australia, people have barbecues and may go see the fireworks. In India (or at least this part of India), people stay indoors and pray nothing gets blown up.
The threat of attacks by various underground organisations in the NE is pretty high around important 'Indian' holidays like Republic Day and Independence Day. Such organisations often call for bandhs 'strikes' around these period, and if you're caught opening your shop or driving a vehicle that is not on hospital duty in some areas, your property will be torched and you may get beaten or worse, killed. People generally don't travel around these holidays and for good reason. Security around bazaars and railway stations goes up - my friend and I were stopped in an auto the other day and questioned about our 'purpose' for passing through the bazaar area.
Over here, Republic Day really is a symbol of Indian colonialism and oppression in the region. I suppose to put it in Australian terms, imagine if the Northern Territory wanted to secede from Australia (I could have used WA, but some people there really do want to secede and I want to keep this hypothetical). The reasons for succession would include: exploitation by a government that takes away resources (like oil and natural gas) without doing enough to support local development; having to deal with waves of illegal migrants coming from a neighbouring Muslim nation (like Indonesia) which isn't a priority for the central government in far-away Canberra; and a distinct Terroritorian cultural identity from the rest of Australia.
Canberra on the other hand refuses to part with the NT for strategic reasons and because it would mean giving up natural resources. With the failure of secession talks, and decades of brutal abuse by the Australian military sent to the region, some groups believe that the only way they can make the Australian government listen to them is through acts of terrorism.
Then imagine that various indigenous Australian groups or 'nations', like the Yolngu, in the Northern Territory felt like their cultural identities were being oppressed by white Territorians. They believe that the only way they can maintain a sense of sovereignty is by fighting their 'white' colonisers, including both the Territorians and other Australians. Arnhem Land in particular is a hotbed of 'terrorist' activity, with weapons and drugs flowing in from neighbouring Indonesia, and people going across the straits to train in guerrilla warfare. Of course, the various groups don't all get along, and occasionally violence flares up between each group. Within each group, fundamental differences in opinion (or men simply wanting to secure more power) may cause splinter factions to form and more infighting to occur.
Now imagine that every 26th of January, Australia Day / 'Invasion Day' comes round. And it feels like a kick in the groin for all the various organisations and factions in the region, especially seeing the other states celebrating with their fireworks and their barbecues.
Hmm. Almost doesn't sound as hypothetical as I wanted it to.
Anyway, I've just been lying in bed all day sick with a cold. Not that I really want to go outside today. Here's a short summary of some attacks just from this week:
22/23 Jan 2011 - I can't seem to find a link for this, but I saw it in a paper on Monday. There was a bomb targetting the Arunachal Express which exploded just before the train passed the area where it was planted. This, and other announcements by rebel groups, then led to the cancellation of all night passenger trains in Assam from 24 Jan to 28 Jan, with night trains going from Guwahati to Lumding (on the way to Dimapur) cancelled till 30 Jan. I discovered these cancellations firsthand when my friend was trying to get a ticket back to Dimapur for the 25th.
24 Jan 2011 - A bus travelling from Guwahati to Manipur via Dimapur was attacked in Karbi Anglong district at 5.15am. 3 people were injured, including a 12 year old girl (another report says it was a boy). The attackers have been identified as being from the Karbi Liberation People's Tiger (KLPT). A goods train also derailed in Lower Haflong - this report says bandh supporters might have removed part of the track, but other reports say it was a bomb blast that caused the train to derail.
26 Jan 2011 - The Indian Telegraph reports that the All Assam Students Union (AASU) bandh turned violent in Sivasagar district with several vehicles being damaged and staff 'manhandled'. The link to the article doesn't seem to work though. I'm sure I'll here more news over the next 24 hours.
I was half-jokingly saying online that in Australia, people have barbecues and may go see the fireworks. In India (or at least this part of India), people stay indoors and pray nothing gets blown up.
The threat of attacks by various underground organisations in the NE is pretty high around important 'Indian' holidays like Republic Day and Independence Day. Such organisations often call for bandhs 'strikes' around these period, and if you're caught opening your shop or driving a vehicle that is not on hospital duty in some areas, your property will be torched and you may get beaten or worse, killed. People generally don't travel around these holidays and for good reason. Security around bazaars and railway stations goes up - my friend and I were stopped in an auto the other day and questioned about our 'purpose' for passing through the bazaar area.
Over here, Republic Day really is a symbol of Indian colonialism and oppression in the region. I suppose to put it in Australian terms, imagine if the Northern Territory wanted to secede from Australia (I could have used WA, but some people there really do want to secede and I want to keep this hypothetical). The reasons for succession would include: exploitation by a government that takes away resources (like oil and natural gas) without doing enough to support local development; having to deal with waves of illegal migrants coming from a neighbouring Muslim nation (like Indonesia) which isn't a priority for the central government in far-away Canberra; and a distinct Terroritorian cultural identity from the rest of Australia.
Canberra on the other hand refuses to part with the NT for strategic reasons and because it would mean giving up natural resources. With the failure of secession talks, and decades of brutal abuse by the Australian military sent to the region, some groups believe that the only way they can make the Australian government listen to them is through acts of terrorism.
Then imagine that various indigenous Australian groups or 'nations', like the Yolngu, in the Northern Territory felt like their cultural identities were being oppressed by white Territorians. They believe that the only way they can maintain a sense of sovereignty is by fighting their 'white' colonisers, including both the Territorians and other Australians. Arnhem Land in particular is a hotbed of 'terrorist' activity, with weapons and drugs flowing in from neighbouring Indonesia, and people going across the straits to train in guerrilla warfare. Of course, the various groups don't all get along, and occasionally violence flares up between each group. Within each group, fundamental differences in opinion (or men simply wanting to secure more power) may cause splinter factions to form and more infighting to occur.
Now imagine that every 26th of January, Australia Day / 'Invasion Day' comes round. And it feels like a kick in the groin for all the various organisations and factions in the region, especially seeing the other states celebrating with their fireworks and their barbecues.
Hmm. Almost doesn't sound as hypothetical as I wanted it to.
Anyway, I've just been lying in bed all day sick with a cold. Not that I really want to go outside today. Here's a short summary of some attacks just from this week:
22/23 Jan 2011 - I can't seem to find a link for this, but I saw it in a paper on Monday. There was a bomb targetting the Arunachal Express which exploded just before the train passed the area where it was planted. This, and other announcements by rebel groups, then led to the cancellation of all night passenger trains in Assam from 24 Jan to 28 Jan, with night trains going from Guwahati to Lumding (on the way to Dimapur) cancelled till 30 Jan. I discovered these cancellations firsthand when my friend was trying to get a ticket back to Dimapur for the 25th.
24 Jan 2011 - A bus travelling from Guwahati to Manipur via Dimapur was attacked in Karbi Anglong district at 5.15am. 3 people were injured, including a 12 year old girl (another report says it was a boy). The attackers have been identified as being from the Karbi Liberation People's Tiger (KLPT). A goods train also derailed in Lower Haflong - this report says bandh supporters might have removed part of the track, but other reports say it was a bomb blast that caused the train to derail.
26 Jan 2011 - The Indian Telegraph reports that the All Assam Students Union (AASU) bandh turned violent in Sivasagar district with several vehicles being damaged and staff 'manhandled'. The link to the article doesn't seem to work though. I'm sure I'll here more news over the next 24 hours.
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