I-day celebrated with warning to militants, welfare schemes

New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) India Saturday marked the
Independence Day amidst an unprecedented security cordon with
celebrations passing off peacefully amidst calls by chief
ministers to extremist outfits to lay down arms and roll-out
of welfare schemes for women, health and for freedom fighters.

The day was incident-free in Jammu and Kashmir and the
North East despite boycott calls given by insurgent outfits.

Speaking after unfurling the tricolour in Guwahati, Assam
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi warned of strong action against
insurgents and asked them to come to the negotiating table.

"We urge every extremist outfit to abjure violence and
come to the negotiation table," he said in the backdrop of a
general strike called by ULFA.

Normal life came to a standstill in Manipur due to a
24-hour strike called by a major insurgent outfit Manipur
People's Liberation Front (MPLF) which, like ULFA, has been
boycotting Independence Day every year. Manipur Chief Minister
O Ibobi Singh said "violence will not bring any solution".

A boycott call given by a rebel group Hynniewtrep National
Liberation Council failed to dampen the celebration in
Meghalaya where Chief Minister D D Lapang condemned people
taking law into their hands.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar asked insurgents to
return to the mainstream and his Mizoram counterpart Lal
Thanhawla said his government will not allow militants to
terrorise people.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said
recent polls in the state rebuffed separatists and asked the
Centre to initiate peace talks with Pakistan.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said his government
would launch a mission for uplift of women in the state and
announce an agro-business policy with emphasis on connecting
farms with markets.

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka chief ministers announced
increase in monthly pension to freedom fighters by Rs.1,000.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling announced
schemes for health and social welfare.

Amid tight security in view of Maoists' call for observing
'Black Day' in parts of Orissa, Independence Day was
celebrated with enthusiasm with government promising an
exploitation-free society and asking ultras to shun violence.

Unfurling the tricolour at a function in Bhubaneswar,
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik termed Maoists as enemies of the
society.

The ultras put up posters against the celebrations in
remote areas of Kalimela, Motu, MV-88 and Chitrakonda of
Malkangiri district. Black flags were also seen at a few
places in the district.

In President-ruled Jharkhand, which has been witnessing
Maoist violence, Governor K Sankaranarayan said Naxalites
would be welcomed with open arms if they shunned violence.

Amid claims that some starvation deaths have occurred in
calamity-hit Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said none
would be allowed to die of hunger as the state had enough
resources to tackle the situation. PTI