DNDF hints at return of militancy

SILCHAR, Sept 29: Militancy seemed to make a comeback in the trouble torn Dima Hasao, previously known as North Cachar Hills district as a new Dimasa outfit had been reportedly collecting money from the government employees to strengthen its base. Frustrated with the government’s mysterious failure in solving the problem of the Dimasa people as well as initiating the economic package, as promised by none other than the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on October 2, last year when the DHD (Jewel) surrendered arms, a group of Dimasa youths had formed an outfit called Dimasa National Democratic Front (DNDF) with more vengeance. Police had recently apprehended three rebels of the DNDF, including its finance secretary Gobre Dimasa alias Raj Kumar Langthasa and publicity secretary Jesi Dimasa alias Subith Langthasa. While Rajkumar was apprehended from Six Mile area of Guwahati, police arrested DNDF rebel Mithun Hagjer from Panchgram of Hailakandi district. Sources said, this newly formed outfit had been issuing demand notes to the government officials asking them to cough up rupees three lakh to rupees five lakh. This had once again created an environment of panic among the government servants. Meanwhile, Jewel faction of the DHD had already set October 2 as the ultimate deadline for the release of its jailed leaders like chairman Jewel Garlosa, ‘commander-in-chief’ Niranjan Hojai, vice-chairman Partha Warisa. DHD (J) had threatened that if the government fails to fulfill its commitment, they would again be compelled to take up arms. Similar threats were announced by Dilip Nunisa, the supreme of the pro-talk faction of the DHD, the group which had surrendered to the government seven years back. Nunisa had already informed that his cadres had started practising martial arts in the designated camps they were housed in to keep themselves bodily fit. On October 2, 2009, the Jewel faction of the DHD laid down arms to the Chief Minister. The rebel group was led by its ‘C-in-C’ Hojai, who in subsequent times, vanished from the government custody and dramatically resurfaced when the investigation in to the multi-crore financial scam was handed over to the CBI. Government had, in the meantime, appointed PC Haldar as its emissary to talk to the jailed rebel leaders and secondly changed the name of the district to Dima Hasao. But this again angered the non Dimasa tribes, which had plunged into agitation under the banner of Indigenous People’s Forum. Even some non Dimasa tribes teamed up to form a militant outfit called Hill Tigers’ Force to push forward the demands for bifurcation of the district into two autonomous council, one for the Dimasa and the other for the non Dimasa.
THESENTINENEL