Soaring Wings

Hmars, Kukis, Nagas & Others demand bifurcation of District

New Delhi, March 25, 2010: The Delhi Joint Action Committee on North Cachar Hills (JAC), comprising Hmar Students’ Association, Kuki Students’ Organisation, Zillai and Zeliangrong Students’ Union, will stage a protest rally against the Assam Cabinet decision to change NC Hills Autonomous District  nomenclature to Dima Hasao District, here at Parliament Street today at 11.00 AM, according to a press release.

The rally will start from Jantar Mantar and large number of people are expected to take part in the event.

“We cannot afford to be silent observer in this crucial time. Make an obligation to participate in the interest of our suffering people who must also have a humane future. The attempt to create a Dimasa homeland in Assam’s NC Hills has resulted in ethnic cleansing campaign by the Dimasa armed groups – DHD (N) and DHD (J) – since 2003. This led to three major ethnic conflicts: Dimasa-Hmar conflict (2003), Dimasa-Karbi conflict (2005) and Dimasa-Zeme Naga conflict (2009) respectively,” the JAC statement said.

The three conflict has tolled many innocent lives, displaced hundreds of families and threatened the prospect of the democratic and citizenship rights of the Biete, Hrangkhawl, Hmar, Kuki, Karbi, Vaiphei, Zeme Naga, etc., who constitutes 57% of the population. After sowing the seed of fear and threat, the Dimasa armed groups, in collusion with their politicians, have been doggedly pushing our people out of NC Hills.

On September 9, 2009, the Government of Assam constituted a Group of Minister’s  (GoM) Committee to look into the issue of renaming  NC Hills district and to make appropriate recommendation. On February 5, 2010, the GoM Committee submitted its recommendation. The recommendation has raised serious concern for the non- Dimasa indigenous peoples.

“The Committee’s attempt to carve “Dima Hasao District” out of the present NC Hills is a communal design by giving in to the narrow demands of the Dimasa militants who have been terrorizing and paralyzing the hill district,” said the organising members.

The non-Dimasa communities in NC Hills have been pressing the Tarun Gogoi government to scrapped the GoM decision and their recommendations ought to be made null and void. “The GoM Committee totally ignores the democratic and multi-ethnic character of NC Hills and is far from understanding the complexities of the hill district,” the JAC statement said.

The JAC and Indigenous Peoples Forum are also demanding the bifurcation of NC Hills if the name of the district is changed. “Our people in NC Hills have collectively resolved to stand united in upholding their rights and dignity. The collective leadership has been petitioning the concerned authorities in Assam and New Delhi several times for a just political solution: bifurcation of NC Hills into two districts, one for the Dimasa and another for all the indigenous tribes.”