AASU slams venue shift, vows Independence Day celebrations at Shaheed Maidan

A CORRESPONDENT

DHEKIAJULI: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Dhekiajuli unit, issued a sharp rebuke to the Dhekiajuli co-district administration’s decision to shift this year’s official Independence Day celebrations from the historic Shaheed Maidan to Bhotpara Stadium, branding the move ‘an insult to the martyrs’ and pledging open defiance.

Leading a citizens’ meeting at Bihu Bhawan on Tuesday, AASU’s Sonitpur District Education Secretary Shankar Das declared, “Under no circumstances will the people of Dhekiajuli attend the celebrations at Bhotpara. We will mark the 78th Independence Day at Shaheed Maidan, Dhekiajuli, as we always have.” Calling the ground ‘a second Jallianwala Bagh’ sanctified by the blood of freedom fighters, Das warned the administration never to take ‘such anti-people steps’ again.

Representatives from more than 30 local organizations and institutions backed the stand, unanimously resolving to safeguard Shaheed Maidan as the permanent venue for national events. Dhekiajuli Press Club President Bhagaban Baishya condemned the decision as a unilateral act against public sentiment.

The meeting resolved to hold a parallel Independence Day celebration at Shaheed Maidan on August 15, with joint participation from community groups and residents. Organizers have appealed for a strong public turnout, framing the event as both a tribute to martyrs and a defence of Dhekiajuli’s historic identity.

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