Statehood demand; DHD gives deadline(Newmai News Network )

Guwahati | September 5 : The Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) led by Dilip Nunisa has threatened to go back to the jungles and take up arms if its demand of creating a separate state for the Dimasa community from Assam is not materialized within one month’s time. The DHD (Dilip Nunisa) group is based in Assam and engaged in ceasefire with the government has threatened to take up arms and go back to the jungles if its demands are not materialized by October 2.
The Dima Halam Daogah (Nunisa faction), fighting for a separate ‘Dimaraji’ state among others, has served an ultimatum on the government asking it to concede to its demands by October 2 or be prepared to face its armed struggle.
Chairman of the outfit Dilip Nunisa warns, “If nothing happens by October 2 next, we will be forced to unilaterally abrogate our existing ceasefire with the government and return to the path of armed struggle”. The DHD chief then said, “There is a limit to our patience. The cadres are mentally demoralized and frustrated. Things have simply just not moved. Given the indications, we don’t foresee any change in government’s attitude either “.
Dilip Nunisa said that the outfit had signed the truce pact in 2003 responding and respecting public opinion to abjure violence and come for talks. The DHD chief however alleged that the government on its part did everything possible to finish them off though they survived braving all odds.
Bowing to pressure, as it seems, the government recently changed the nomenclature of erstwhile NC Hills district to Dima Hasao district. But the move could least please the Dimasas as a whole.“The Centre has cleverly shied away from acceding to our demand of separate state. Let us proclaim that our struggle will continue so long as it is not achieved,” Nunisa said.
The Dimasas demand that besides Dima Hasao, the proposed ‘Dimaraji’ should include the Dimasa-inhabited areas of Cachar, Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam and Dimapur district of Nagaland. The Dimasa population in Dima Hasao district is little over 43 per cent. Not only the DHD (Nunisa) but there are several Dimasa civil organizations demanding for the creation of a Dimasa based state. The Dimasa civil bodies feel that government was trying to complicate the peace process by adopting delaying tactics.