Citizens’ appeal in Haflong(Anup Biswas)

Conscious citizen of the Diama Hasao district appealed to all the Political leaders, Intellectuals and bonafied citizens of the district not to allow any outside agent from any organization to interfere in  hills political affair and not to give chance to make this district their hunting ground for money making.

The district of Dima Hasao with the population of not even two lakhs has witnessed a series of changes in political affair with the interference of some outside agents who are still very much active to create chaotic condition so that their aims of making political leader a milch cow continue. Some senior citizens, under the condition of anonymity said that first, all the political leaders of this district in particular should change their mindset. They should not allow or encourage anyone, particularly the out side agents to play with the lives and future of the people of this district. As these people have made them public leaders, the leaders should also remember and give importance to the public voice or suggestion rather than listening the dictation of out side agent who always trying to make a distance with the local tribal people and their leaders for their narrow Gaines. It is not at all a hiding fact that some people, be it politicians, businessman, officials or intellectuals from out side had come with only one agenda i.e. to fool the simple and innocent people, of course by manipulating the local leaders. There fore it has become the need of hour for the people of this district in particular to be vigil and raise voice against such injustice by the out side agents and not allow them to interfere in any political affairs of the district.

26 groups stage protest in Delhi (TAT)

 NEW DELHI, Aug 26 – At least twenty six organisations led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) today staged a demonstration pressing for resumption of the update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), solution of the flood and erosion problem, inter-Stateboundary dispute and halt of the mega dam project works.

The organisations that participated in the demonstration included All Assam Tribal Sangha, All Assam Tribal Youth League, Mising Mimag Kebang, All Rabha Students’ Union, All Mising Students’ Union (T.M.P.K.), All Tiwa Students’ Union, Tiwa Yuva Chatra Parishad, All Tai Ahom

Students’ Union, All Dimasa Students’ Union, Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association, All Koch-Rajbanshi Students’ Union, All Assam Motok Yuva Chatra Sanmilan, All Assam Moran Students’ Union, All Assam Deori Students’ Union, Karbi Students’ Association (K.S.A.), All Adivashi Students’ Association, All Assam Chutia Students’ Union, All Assam Gurkha Students’ Union, All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, All Assam Sarania Kachari Students’ Union, All Assam Modahi Students’ Union, Karbi Students’ Union (K.S.U.), N. C. Hills Indigenous Students’ Union and All Assam Karbi Students’ Union, among others.

Displaying banners and placards, demonstrators raised slogans high-lighting their demands. “Solve the inter-State boundary problems – restore our land, If Assam’s oil, gas, coal and tea are national assets, why not flood and erosion problems,” screamed the demonstrators.

The rally at Jantar Mantar was joined by several of the MPs and ex-MPs including Bijoy Chakravarty, Biren Baishya, Kumar Deepak Das, besides Sarbananda Sonowal, among others.

Addressing the demonstrators, AASU’s adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that Assam Government under pressure of vested interest stopped the process of updating the NRC in Barpeta district.

The Congress Party is ruling in Delhi, Dispur and Itanagar, then why can’t it resolve the inter-State boundary problem, he asked.

The rally was also addressed by Dr Ranoj Pegu, and the visiting MPs. The delegation is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister on Friday morning.

Spectre of ‘bloodbath’ looms in Dima Hasao (The sentinel news)

SILCHAR, Aug 25: Bloodbath might return in its ugliest form in Dima Hasao district, apprehended various leading Dimasa organizations. Representatives of All Dimasa Students’ Union and Dimasa People’s Council blamed both the State and Central Governments for the indifferent attitude towards the demands of the DHD (Jewel faction), the militant outfit which surrendered arms to the Chief Minister on October 2 last year following assurance from the Government that their long standing demands would be fulfilled within 100 days. But in reality, more than 300 days had passed, but the authority had virtually done nothing to keep its promise except appointing PC Haldar as the mediator. In this backdrop, the DHD (J) leader, who felt themselves betrayed, had sat on fast unto death and later set the coming October 2 as the ultimate deadline for fulfillment of their demands. On the other hand, pro-talk faction of DHD led Dilip Nunisa already threatened coming out seven years back. Nunisa said, the Government’s dilly-dallying tactic was compelling them to rethink over the so called peace dialogue. In the meantime, various non-Dimasa tribes had vehemently protested State Government’s decision to rename the erstwhile NC Hills as Dima Hasao district arguing that this had pushed the very existence of the non-Dimasa tribes to the danger of mere non entity. These non-Dimasa tribes had assembled themselves under the banner of Indigenous People’s Forum and already plunged into agitation demanding bifurcation of the Dima Hasao into two autonomous districts, one for the Dimasas and the other for the non-Dimasas. A non-Dimasa militant outfit called Hills Tiger Force (HTF) had already made its presence felt with a series of low intensity bomb blasts. HTF chief Kapiche Zeme Naga had threatened that they might target the railways to put pressure on the Government. In this backdrop, winter is coming. Winter is the season only when work for broad gauge could be done as there is no shower. If the chronology of bloodbath in the erstwhile NC Hills could be seen, it was found that DHD (J) used to strike during the winter. The reason was simple. Contractors returned to the work after the rainy seasons and the militants starts to threat them, extort money, kidnap employees and even kill them to set an atmosphere of terror so that the contractors were forced to cough up the bucks. Last year, the hills were by and large peaceful as the Jewel army had surrendered on October 2. Work for broad gauge could be proceeded smoothly. An NF Railway source said, till now 59.62 per cent of work had been completed. A railway contractor informed that, work was stalled now due to shower, and as soon as the winter arrives they would resume their work. But would they be able to?

Talks push to Dimaraji

Guwahati, Aug. 24: The All Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU), Dimasa People’s Council (DPC) and United Peoples’ Federation of Assam (UPFA) today demanded that the Centre clear its stand on the 20-year-old issue of a Dimaraji state at an early date.

The demand has come close on the wheels of utter disappointment and frustration expressed by the Dilip Nunisa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah over the Centre’s failure to start a concrete dialogue on the issue during the past two decades.

The DHD (Dilip), a dominant militant group of Dima Hasao district, signed a ceasefire agreement with the central government in 2003.

The concept of a Dimaraji state envisages the amalgamation of the Dimasa-inhabited areas of Karbi Anglong, erstwhile North Cachar Hills, Cachar and Nagaon districts in Assam and the Dhansiri tract in Nagaland as a full-fledged separate state under the Indian Union.

At a joint media conference here, leaders of ADSU, DPC and UPFA said it would spell doom if the DHD (Dilip) returns to arms and goes back to the jungles in case Delhi does not agree to its principal demand for a Dimaraji state.

“We simply do not understand why the authorities in New Delhi have not been able to take any decision on the Dimaraji state demand which has been hanging fire since 1989. It is high time the Centre cleared its stand on the issue without further ado. The Centre must be transparent and say whether it is conceding the demand for Dimaraji or not. It has been learnt that the Centre was avoiding the issue during its earlier meetings with the DHD leadership,” UPFA president Jebra Ram Muchahary said.

He said even though the demand is now being considered by the Centre’s interlocutor P.C. Haldar, the UPFA, ADSU and DPC have found that Haldar is not involving himself fully to start talks with the outfit.

He said Haldar must understand the sentiments of the Dimasa people and do something on a war-footing to bring about permanent peace in the hill districts.

Muchahary said a massive rally would be organised at Haflong on August 30 to generate public opinion on the Dimaraji state and pressure the Centre to amicably solve the issue at an early date.

Sanmoni Kemprai, general secretary of DPC said the DHD (D) must continue to exercise restraint in the greater interest of the Dimasa community.

DHD (D) chairman Dilip Nunisa said it is unfortunate that the Centre has failed to reciprocate positively despite the militant outfit showing a great deal of enthusiasm and will for peace.

khana sang( DIMASA music video)

Haflong lake and Barail hill....