Trader returns

A young trader from Dima Hasao district, Pabitra Nunisa, who was missing since he came to the city on Tuesday, appeared at the city’s Gorchuk police station on Thursday evening. The police said Nunisa denied that he was kidnapped. He said he was hiding because of some personal problems. The police is questioning him.

ASDC demands immediate release of DHD(J) leaders

Anup Biswas

The Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) Dima Hasao District committee took a strong exception to the recent statement made by Mr Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam over the issue on the crore rupee scam in Dima Hasao district and on the CAG report relating to Dima Hasao Autonomous Council stating that it was during the Congress-I regime in Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) headed by Late Purnendu Langthasa, the then CEM of the Council , that corruption was more rampant and more funds were misused in the DHAC in collusion with some ministers of Assam from the year 2001 to 2007 than the corruption and misuse of funds that prevailed in the Council from the year 2007 to 2009. So, such statements referring only to the then ASDC-BJP party rule in the Council and that too most of these elected members of the then ASDC-BJP party have now already been in Congress-I fold, leaving out the state of affairs of corruption and misuse of funds in DHAC from the year 2001to 2007 is highly condemnable, stated a press release issued by Rathindra Thaosen and Suraj Naiding, President and Joint Secretary, respectively of ASDC Dima Hasao District committee today.
The ASDC, Dima Hasao District Committee, meanwhile, express great concern over the step-motherly treatment meted out to Dima Hasao district articular on the affairs of the non-release of jailed DHD(J)leaders and Mohet Hojai, former CEM of DHAC, from the Judicial custody and non-release of required Govt. funds of development schemes like NREGA to Dima Hasao district, saying that when the demands of DHD(J) are within the ambit of Indian Constitution and when the peace talks of DHD(J) with the Government are in process, yet the Govt. has not released the jailed DHD(J) leaders and Mohet Hojai from judicial custody. The party also alleged that some leaders of several militant organizations despite their organization’s demand being the demand for ‘Sovereignty’ and secession from Indian Union have already been released on bail, whereas jailed DHD(J) leaders ‘whose demands are within the ambit of Indian Constitution’ have not been released, which is an injustice to and discrimination against the people of Dima Hasao district.
The ASDC Dima Hasao District Committee therefore demanded the immediate release of jailed DHD(J) leaders and Mohet Hojai from judicial as well as from NIA custody and the party also demanded the immediate release of all the Govt. required funds to Dima Hasao district and reiterated the demand that the CBI probe into the scam in Dima Hasao be conducted from 2001, the release added.

Terror rerun in Dima Hasao: 6 kidnapped

After a brief lull, terror shadow is back to Dima Hasao district. At least as six villagers were kidnapped by some unidentified militants at gun-point in this hills district during the last 12 hours. The incident  took place at Dehangi and Maibong areas of and the kidnapped villagers belonged to the Dimasa tribal community. 

Heavily-armed militants stormed into the villages in the wee hours on Tuesday and whisked them away to the near by dense jungles. The police and paramilitary forces have launched a massive search operation to rescue the villagers. The recent arrest of top leaders of Dima Halam Daogah and United People’s Democratic Solidarity made both the hardcore outfits defunct.

The kidnapped farmers have been identified as Joybo Maramsa (55), Hamring Maramsa (46), Hamjen Maramsa (40) and Kajol Maramsa (38) from Maibong while Roben Hasnu (35) and Debendra Hasnu (32) from Dehangi area.

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Militants kidnap six villagers in Dima Hasao district. of Assam

Dec 8,  11:2 AM
In Assam, as many as six villagers were kidnapped by some unidentified militants at gun-point from Dehangi and Maibong areas of North Cachar hill District. All the kidnapped villagers belonged to the Dimasa tribal community. 
According to official sources, heavily-armed militants stormed into the villages in the wee hours on Tuesday and whisked them away to the forest. The police and paramilitary forces have launched a massive search operation to rescue the villagers. Official reports said after a lull of few months a few new underground groups have sprung up in the district. 
The recent arrest of top leaders of Dima Halam Daogah and United People’s Democratic Solidarity made both the hardcore outfits defunct in the district. This was a major success for the security forces. 
AIR correspondent reports, the new groups might be behind the kidnapping to establish their existence.

Cops claim leads in abduction

Silchar, Dec. 7: Police in Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills) have gained leads regarding the abduction of oil sector employees from the district on Saturday morning.

Dima Hasao superintendent of police V.K. Ramisetti told this correspondent from Haflong, the district headquarters, over phone today that he was hopeful that they would be able to locate the abductors’ hideouts and rescue the kidnapped persons soon. He, however, declined to give details as search operations were on.

Four junior employees of Om Survey, a private firm engaged by Indian Oil Tanking Ltd, a private oil exploration firm on contract with the public sector Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, were abducted by militants from a secluded forest area between Chhoto Manja and Boro Manja villages near Langting railway station while they were setting up a camp to serve as a base for identifying oil-drilling sites.

The abductors set free one of the employees that very day to carry their ransom demand of Rs 1 crore to the company. Of the three they held hostage, two are junior surveyors while the third is a Jorhat-based cook with the company.

The police, paramilitary forces and the army are continuing their search operation but their mobility is being impeded by the dense forests, Ramisetti said.

4 employees of oil company abducted

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, December 6
Four employees of Indian Oil Tanking (Private) Limited, a sub-contractor of a public sector oil company, were abducted by suspected Dimasa National Liberation Front (DNLF) militants from Manja village under Langting Police Station in Dima Hasao hill district of Assam yesterday.

Superintendent of Police VK Ramisetti said the abducted persons were identified as Sontosh Ashok Raichandra (24) of Maharashtra, Wilfred Terki (37) of Orissa, Ranjit Das of Jorhat, Assam, and Bardap of Maharashtra. The abductors later released Bardap while the other three are still in their clutches. It was learnt that the company was served with a demand of Rs 1 crore by the DNLF.

Akhil ups ante on CM, dares Gogoi to resign

AT News Bureau

After virtually exposing health minister Akhil Gogoi targets Tarun Gogoi a day after the chiefminister took the RTI activist to the court with a defamation court.Addressing a press conference on Tuesday,Gogoi said Tarun Gogoi is one of the lier chief ministers Assam has ever possessed so far.He said the chief minister has virtually exposed his blatent lies on the allocation of huge funds to Dima Hasao district without any budgetary allocation who confessed it at a press conference on Wednesday in Dispur.
The KMSS leader slammed the chief minister for his desperate bid to protect Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kkarsingh Engty who are involved in the siphoning off a huge fund meant for the Dima Hasao district.Gogoi said thchief minister has no option but to resign to upheld his high moral ground.

AG report on NC Hills Council not final: CM

GUWAHATI, Dec 1 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed the State Chief Secretary to inspect whether the excess fund released to the NC Hills Autonomous Council without any budgetary provision was utilized genuinely or misapp-ropriated.

The Chief Secretary has been directed to submit the report by December 15.

He said an inquiry into the leak of the AG's confidential inspection report will also be ordered.

Gogoi, quoting from the AG report during a press conference here today, conceded that Rs 11.46 crore has been found to be given to the autonomous council without any budgetary sanction.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today sought to dismiss all the corruption charges leveled against him by the Opposition in the alleged Rs 1000-crore NC Hills scam claiming that no report by the Auditor General (AG) has so far unearthed ‘misappropriation of funds’ in theautonomous district.

“The AG report which the Opposition is referring to is not the final one. It is just theinspection report of North Cachar Hills (Dima Hasao) Autonomous Council that has sought the views of the Council and the State Government. “The report has only pointed to risk of misappropriation, but nowhere has it stated of any corruption," Gogoi said during apress conference here.

"We from our side will reply to all the queries of the AG report and the final report will be compiled only at a later stage," he stated.

It needs mention here that the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has been mounting pressure demanding resignation of the Chief Minister alleging that excess money was given to NC Hills without necessary sanction.

"It is a fact that the corruption has taken place and if any irregularity is detected in the final report, it would be immediately referred to the CBI," Gogoi said.

Stating that such excess expenditure over budget happened on several occasions, Gogoi said excess payment of Rs 13,645 crore was recorded during AGP's second tenure between 1996-2001, which was later regularized by Gogoi's Government.

“If any irregularity is detected at any level, the guilty, be it any Minister or anybody, will not be spared," Gogoi said, adding that the discrepancy of Rs 27264.23 lakh between the records of the Hill Areas Department of Government of Assam and the North Cachar HillsAutonomous Council has been pointed out by the AG report, reconciliation process for which has already started.

He, however, said that the non-audit of NC Hills accounts by the AG after 2005-06 is a matter of concern.

Gogoi claimed that the Opposition was carrying out a ‘baseless, false and politically motivated’ campaign to malign him in the eyes of the people in view of the ensuing State Assembly elections.

NSCN demands 24% of salary from Haflong hospital staff

SILCHAR, Nov 27: All medical, paramedical as well as fourth grade staff of Haflong Civil Hospital staged a sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday demanding immediate arrangement of security in the backdrop of extortion threat, allegedly by the NSCN, asking all the staff to pay 24 per cent of their salary per month to the outfit.
Dr Pradip Kumar Baruah, Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, told The Sentinel over telephone from Haflong on Saturday that panic-stricken staff had no  alternative but to seek intervention of the administration.
Already two doctors had left Haflong and others were trying to manage transfer, added Dr Baruah, who himself had received an extortion note on November 19. Dr Baruah said, the administration had provided police security in the hospital campus, but about 200 staff were under constant mental pressure. The medical service in the 100-bed hospital has been badly been affected.
It is to be noted that Dr Nityananda Naiding of the Civil Hospital had been abducted by local miscreants from his official quarters on October 30, and he was released on the same day allegedly after making a hefty ransom. Babul Haflongbar, who was the kingpin in the abduction, was picked up by Haflong police from Dimapur, and he admitted that he had kidnapped Dr Naiding with the help of Naga miscreants.

NSCN faction sends ‘tax’ notice to doctors

Posted: Mon Nov 29 2010, 02:41 hrsGuwahati:

Doctors and other employees of the civil hospital in Haflong, headquarters of Dima Hasao district in Assam, are in fear after receiving a “notice” from one of the NSCN factions in Nagaland to pay 24 per cent of their salary as “tax” to the outfit.

The notice, addressed to the superintendent of the hospital on November 19, had asked him to arrange the “tax” from doctors and staff working under him. The hospital has 17 doctors and over 150 other employees. “We have filed an FIR. A police picket has been posted in the hospital campus,” Dr Pradip Kumar Barooah, superintendent of the hospital, said.

“I also received a phone call from a person who claimed to be from the NSCN, who said the notice was served to us by mistake. Doctors, the caller claimed, have been exempted,” Dr Barooah said. On November 9, a doctor, Dr N Naiding, was kidnapped from the hospital complex on November 9. But he was released unharmed the same night.

Govt urged to expedite peace process with DHD(J)

HAFLONG, Nov 28 – Demanding expeditious settlementof the demands of the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) as per the proposals for peace agreement submitted to the Government and the release of all jailed leaders of the DHD(J) including politicians and civilians associated with their struggle immediately from judicial custody in order to facilitate free and fair negotiations with the Government-appointed interlocutor and representatives for the NGOsand public representatives, the Dimasa Students’ Union organised a grand meeting and rally at the Town Committee Field (Lal field) Haflong on Thursday.


A meeting was also held with Kebaron Naiding, president, DSU in the chair at Lal field wherein representatives from almost all the frontline NGOs of Dima Hasao took part.

Attending the meeting Dethang Naiding, president, Jadikhe Naisho Hosom, the office body of the Dimasas, Samarjit Haflongbar, former CEM, DHAC, LK Nunisa, general secretary JNH, Rathindra Thaosen, president, ASDC, opined that for the all-round development of Dima Hasao district, the issue of DHD(J) should be solved immediately. David Dimasa, ‘home secretary’, DHD(J) and Daniel Dimasa, ‘deputy c-in-c’, DHD(J) assured all the people of the district of Dima Hasao that if their demands were fulfilled then all the people living in the district would be benefited. There will be no discrimination and everybody will enjoy the same rights as they have been since 1952.

Thousands of people participated in a procession from Lal field, marched upto Council rotary then back to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Dima Hasao and submited amemorandum to the chairperson, UPA, Sonia Gandhi through the DC, Dima Hasao, requesting her for sympathetic action while enlisting their grievances and sufferings.


The memorandum stated that after years of armed struggle for safeguarding the socio-economic and political concerns and rights of the tribal people of the Dima Hasao District in Assam, the Dima Halam Daogah (Joel), an insurgent group operating mainly in the said district, came out for peace process after the Government gave them a positive signal for peaceful negotiated settlement of their demands and concerns.


It may be mentioned here that the DHD(J) was the first armed insurgent group in the North East India to have come out for peace process by surrendering its arms en-masse on October 2, 2009 at the Dima Hasao Sports Association playground, Haflong in the presence of Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam. The general public of the Dima Hasao District had wholeheartedly welcomed the return of peace and hoped that there would be positive outcome in the peace process which would ultimately usher in an era of permanent peace, stability, development and progress in the district.

They highly appreciated the initiative taken by the UPA Government, particularly UnionHome Minister P Chidambaram for smooth passage of peace process by appointing P C Haldar as the interlocutor. Since then, there have been a series of informal talks between the DHD(J) leadership and PC Haldar, to discuss the various demands and concerns raised by the DHD(J). In the meantime, the DHD(J) has also submitted proposals for peace agreement to the Government for consideration and approval.

However, the peace process seems to be moving on slow pace which is baffling the rank and file of the DHD(J) in particular and the people of the Dima Hasao district in general. Moreover, since the top-rung of the DHD(J) leadership is in jail, how can the peace process be moved forward to its logical conclusion? It is argued. Before the final peacesettlement, it is imperative that the DHD(J) leadership should have few formal talks with the government to discuss and negotiate on the proposals for peace accord and hence,before the start of the formal talks, all top-rung of the DHD(J) leadership along with politicians and civilians associated with their struggle should be released from jail in order to facilitate free and fair negotiation with the Government appointed interlocutor and representatives for smooth sailing of the peace process as well as to have consensus with the community leaders, NGOs and public representatives before signing the final peace accord, the memorandum concluded.

Why ULFA left out of CBI scanner? ask Dimasas

SILCHAR, Nov 26: Accusing the State Government of adopting a double standard policy in solving the militant problem, various Dimasa social organizations now directly sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Alleging that the State Government’s attitude towards the jailed DHD (J) leaders in comparison to the ULFA leaders behind the bars, the Dimasa organizations asked why only DHD (J) was put under CBI and NIA scanners while the ULFA was left out. David Dimasa the self-styled home secretary of the DHD (J) which laid down arms on October 2, 2009, said, outfit’s demand for autonomous state was not aimed only for the welfare the Dimasa community, but it would benefit all the other ethnic community residing in the district. David argued that, officials like Redaul Hussain Khan used to launder the council exchequer and common people of the district were deprived their justified. To raise a protest against this machinery, they took up arms. Now responding to the call of the State, they had laid down arms with a hope that the government would definitely materialize the commitments it had made. But, the State Government’s indifferent attitude as well as step-motherly behaviour against the Dimasa leaders had made the surrendered DHD (J) cadres suspicious. “If the authority does not fulfil our demand immediately we would be compelled to launch agitation in a democratic manner”, David said. On Thursday, various outfits, including DHD (J) brought out a rally in Haflong where more than thousand people participated. Organizations which participated in the rally included All Dimasa Students’ Union, Dimasa Women Society, Dimasa Mothers’ Association and People’s Forum for Peace Settlement, the president of which was district Congress boss Samarjit Haflongbar. Apart from these organizations, Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom (JNH), the apex body of the Dimasa community also actively participated in the rally. JNH chief Dethang Naiding said, if the government does not release DHD (J) leaders, how could peace process start?

Grand Rally at Haflong

26 November, 2010
Anup Biswas  



Demanding expeditious peace settlement of the demands of the Dima Halam Daogah (Joel) as per the Proposals for Peace Agreement submitted to the Government and the release of all jailed leaders of the DHD(J) including Politicians and Civilians associated with their struggle immediately from the judicial custody in order to facilitate free and fair negotiation with the Government appointed Interlocutor and Representatives for smooth sailing of the peace process as well as to have consensus with the community leaders, NGOs and public representatives, the Dimasa Students’ Union organised a Grand Meeting Cum Rally at Town Committee Field (Lal field) Haflong today.
In this connection, a well attended meeting was also held with Sri Kebaron Naiding, President, DSU in the chair at Lal field wherein representatives from all most all the front liner NGOs of Dim Hasao attended.
Attending the meeting Sri Dethang Naiding, President, Jadikhe Naisho Hosom, Dimasa Apex Body, Samarjit Haflongbar, former CEM, DHAC, L. K. Nunisa,Genl. Secretary JNH, Rathindra Thaosen, President, ASDC, opine that for the all round development of Dima Hasao, the demand of DHD(J) should be solved immediately. Sri David Dimasa, Home Secretary, DHD(J) and Sri Daniel Dimasa, Deputy C-in-C, DHD(J) assured all the people of the district of Dima Hasao that if their demands were fulfilled then all the people living in the district would be benefited. There will be no discrimination and will enjoy the same as they were enjoying since 1952.
Thousands of people took out a procession from Lal fiels marched upto Council rotary then back to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Dima Hasao and submited a memorandum to the Chairperson, UPA, Smt Sonia Gandhi through the DC, Dima Hasao, requesting her for sympathetic action while enlisting their grievances and sufferings.
The memorandum stated that after years of armed struggle for safeguarding the socio-economic and political concerns and rights of the tribal people of the Dima Hasao District in Assam, the Dima Halam Daogah (Joel), an insurgent group operating mainly in the said district, came out for peace process after the Government gave them a positive signal for peaceful negotiated settlement of their demands and concerns.
It may be mentioned here that the DHD(J) was the first armed insurgent group in the North East India to have come out for peace process by surrendering its arms en-mass on 2nd October 2009 at the Dima Hasao Sports Association playground, Haflong in the august presence of Shri Tarun Gogoi, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam. The general public of the Dima Hasao District had wholeheartedly welcomed the return of peace and hoped that there would be positive outcome in the peace process which would ultimately usher in an era of permanent peace, stability, development and progress in the district.
They highly appreciated the initiative taken by the UPA Government, particularly Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri P Chidambaram for smooth passage of peace process by appointing Shri P C Haldar as the Interlocutor. Since then, there have been a series of informal talks between the DHD(J) leadership and Shri P C Haldar, to discuss the various demands and concerns raised by the DHD(J). In the meantime, the DHD(J) has also submitted Proposals for Peace Agreement to the Government for consideration and approval. However, the peace process seems to be moving on slow pace which is baffling the rank and file of the DHD(J) in particular and the people of the Dima Hasao district in general. Moreover, since the top-rung of the DHD(J) leadership is in jail, how can the peace process be moved forward to its logical conclusion? It is argued. Before the final peace settlement, it is imperative that the DHD(J) leadership should have few formal talks with the Government to discuss and negotiate on the Proposals for Peace Accord and hence, before the start of the formal talks, all top-rung of the DHD(J) leadership along with politicians and civilians associated with their struggle should be released from jail in order to facilitate free and fair negotiation with the Government appointed Interlocutor and Representatives for smooth sailing of the peace process as well as to have consensus with the community leaders, NGOs and public representatives before signig the final peace accord, the memorandum concluded.

Mahanta slams Cong tact - ‘BPF demand for state to divert attention from scam’

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Guwahati, Nov. 24: Former chief minister and Opposition leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today said the demand for a separate state for the Bodos had been raised by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) at the behest of the Congress, its ruling partner in the state, in order to divert the people’s attention from the Rs 1,000-crore scam in the Dima Hasao (formerly NC Hills) district and the issue of big dams. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi had hit back at Mahanta yesterday for seeking the resignation of the three BPF ministers in the state cabinet. “The present demand for a separate state by the Bodos is a pre-planned design of the Congress to divert people’s attention from other burning issues like the big dams and Rs 1,000-crore scam in the Dima Hasao district,” said Mahanta. Mahanta also dared Gogoi to make public the amount of money spent on development projects in the Dima Hasao district. “It is the Congress who has been dividing Assam. It is the Congress who had divided Assam into seven states by creating a division among the tribals and non-tribals,” he said and added that the then leaders of Meghalaya, Nagaland and others, who had demanded separate states, were all Congress leaders. “The Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam is yet to implement the recommendations of the inquiry commission which probed the 2008 Beltola violence where an Adivasi girl was stripped in broad daylight,” Mahanta said. “The chief minister often said the Centre had not given Rs 1,000 crore to Dima Hasao district for development. Now, I dare him to make clear as to how much money had been given to the district in the last few years for development schemes,” the former chief minister said. Mahanta’s statement assumes significance now, particularly as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which carried out an inquiry into the financial irregularities of the district, has already submitted its report to the Assam governor. “The amount of total financial irregularities in Dima Hasao district will be more than Rs 1,000 crore if one takes into account the funds given to all the departments in the district. Lots of trees have been felled in the district for the national highway extension project. Where have all these felled trees gone?” he asked. Mahanta also asked the chief minister to make public the amount of money the government had paid to people as compensation for acquiring land during the NH extension project.

Assam: New armed group troubles DIMA HASAO district

Guwahati: Even as the Centre is trying to restore peace in insurgency-hit Dima Hasao district (erstwhile North Cachar Hill district) of Assam by engaging two factions of the Dima Halam Daogah in the peace process, another militant group is rearing its head in the troubled area.

Once the government started the peace initiatives with the DHD factions, which claim to represent the dominant Dimes tribe in the hill district, militant elements from non-Dimasa tribes have got together to float a new militant group called Hill Tiger Fore.

According to security sources, the armed group has been tasked to protect and fight for the rights and interest of the non-Dimasa hill tribes living in the hill district and adjoining areas. The outfit has been formed with Kapchy Naga as the self-styled chairman, Arnal Kuki as the secretary, Hrangthang Hmar as commander in chief, Lunneh Kuki as publicity secretary and Stephan Lungchuong as the secretary, finance.

The HTF came into being after Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam renamed North Cachar Hills district as Dima Hasao district earlier this year, ignoring opposition from all non-Dimasa ethnic groups which constitute nearly 57 per cent of the total population in the hill district.

Prominent non-Dimasa tribes of the hill district include Zemes, Kukis and Hmars who have been demanding tribe-specific councils within the hill district. These tribes have strongly opposed renaming of the district.

The non-Dimasa communities have been demanding bifurcation of the hill district.

The students' committees of Non Dimasa organisations urged the Union and the Assam government to take stern action to prevent future ethnic conflicts in NC hills. Leaders of Indigenous People's Forum of NC hills met Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum. They apprised him of problems faced by non-Dimasas while submitting their demands to him.

The non-Dimasa students unions strongly opposed the change of the district nomenclature in accordance with the name of a particular tribe and termed it as a clear abuse of the provision of Article 244(2) of the Constitution.

According to security sources, the HTF, which has nearly 100 cadres, is being trained at camps along thickly forested boundary between N C Hill and Manipur by Naga rebels in truce. It may be noted that large swathes of NC Hills have been included in the 'Greater Nagaland' or the proposed 'Nagalim' map of the Naga rebel group, NSCN-IM.
Courtesy rediff.com