Finger at Naga outfit

ttelegraph

Guwahati, Sept. 13: The United Peoples’ Federation of Assam, a conglomeration of several organisations of ethnic communities, has claimed that some Nagaland-based militant outfits were now trying to destabilise the peace in Dima Hasao district, which prevailed after the Jewel Gorlosa faction of the DHD came into ceasefire. “There is a new militant outfit, which is operating in the Dima Hasao district. Backed by some Naga militants, this outfit, Hill Tigers’ Force, has spread its extortion net in the entire district,” president of the federation, Jebra Ram Mooshahary, said. He said the situation needs urgent attention of the state and the Union government. “The main objective of the new outfit is to destabilise the prevailing peace in the district. The outfit had also been targeting the member organisations of the federation, which has been trying to bring all the ethnic communities of the state under one umbrella,” Mooshahary said. The federation has also urged the Centre and the state government to take urgent steps to initiate peace talks with the Dilip Nunisa faction of the DHD and to finalise the government’s stand on the issue of Dimaraji. It may be mentioned here that the DHD (Nunisa) has already set an ultimatum of October 2 to the state and the Union government to clear their stand on the Dimaraji issue. The ceasefire group had also threatened that they would go back to the jungle if the government fails to clear its stand on the issue by the set deadline. “We recently had the first general assembly of the United Peoples’ Federation of Assam and decided to take up several key issues with the government,” Mooshahary said. The issues that were discussed included formation of Thirap tribal autonomous council, Gorkha autonomous council, Barman Kachari autonomous council, current Garo-Rabha conflict in Rabha Hasong area and inter-state boundary conflicts.