Dimasa bodies call for talks with DHD(J)

Haflong, May 14 : The State Government has sent a fresh proposal to the Centre for deployment of additional security forces to contain violence in North Cachar Hills district, Government sources said here today.

Meanwhile, the Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom (JNH), the apex body of the Dimasa community, has appealed to the Government to instruct its security forces to stop operation against DHD(J) immediately and initiate peace talks with the outfit.

JNH publicity secretary D Bathari, in a statement here, said it seems that the Government is not interested in peace process to respond to the aspirations of the people of NC Hills district despite the fact that the common people of the district welcomed the unilateral ceasefire declared by DHD(J) on March 25.

Echoing the stand of JNH, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the NC Hills Autonomous Council Depolal Hojai said the Council’s request to the State Government for initiating peace negotiation with DHD(J) has fallen on deaf ears. He said due to the alleged apathy on the part of Dispur, the NC Hills district has plunged into turmoil. He also appealed to DHD (J) to shun violence for the greater interest of NC Hills district and its development.

Meanwhile, several organizations, including the Dimasa Students’ Union, have called for a 24-hour NC Hills district bandh from 5 am tomorrow demanding peace talks with DHD(J).

Several political parties, including the BJP and AUDF, have expressed concern over the prevailing situation in the hills district. A delegation of AUDF met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today and urged him to pay adequate compensation to the families of labourers killed in the recent militant attack, party sources said.

Meanwhile, pro-talk DHD chairman Dilip Nunisa today said the recent violence unleashed by DHD(J) has reflected the immaturity on part of the leadership of the outfit. “They should not have indulged in senseless killing of railway labourers to take revenge against the Government for Army operation against the outfit, despite declaring a unilateral ceasefire,” he said.

SN

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Forces split over Jewel

Haflong, May 15 : Serious differences have cropped up between the army and Assam police over dealing with the Jewel Gorlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah after police’s spadework for revival of the peace process with the outfit has almost been jeopardised by a “proactive army”.

A police officer said the army had fallen prey to a ploy of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim that aimed at disrupting the peace process with the DHD (J). He also backed the outfit’s claim that troops gunned down a dozen of its cadre on Saturday. The army, however, said it had not found a single body despite a massive search.

Contesting the army’s claim that last week’s gun battle took place within the North Cachar Hills district, the officer said the encounter took place in Manipur and added that the army had been tipped off by the Naga outfit about the presence of the DHD (J) militants at Tamei in Manipur.

“After last month’s meeting with the Gorlosa faction, we asked its cadre to lie low. Accordingly, they withdrew from civilian areas and started holing themselves up in areas adjoining the border the NC Hills shares with Manipur,” the officer said.

The army’s hardcore line towards assorted militant gangs was drawn up after Brig. Ashoke Kumar Sarkar joined as the commander of the 57 Mountain Artillery Brigade posted in Haflong for counter-insurgency operation against the Dimasa rebels.

The outfit called off the unilateral ceasefire it had announced after the army went on an offensive against it and raided its hideouts four times in the last one month.

The ceasefire offer was made after two leaders of the outfit met a senior officer of Assam police’s special branch in Guwahati last month.

The army pointed out that in the past the state government and the police had accused troops of being soft towards the rebels operating in the NC Hills and even raised the issue at the highest level.

The relation between DHD (J) and the NSCN (I-M) had soured over the Gorlosa faction’s demand for change of name of the NC Hills into Dimaraji, meaning Dimasa homeland, in the eight-point charter of demands it submitted to the police last month.

The troubled district has a large Naga population. According to the NSCN (I-M), a change in nomenclature will hurt the sentiments of the Nagas living in the district.

Formed in 1993 with the NSCN (I-M)’s help, the DHD fell out with the Naga group in 2000 over division of extorted money. Their relationship worsened after the DHD’s founder chief Jewel Gorlosa, who was accused of being soft towards the NSCN (I-M), broke away to form his own group.

The outfit after waging 10 years of guerrilla war entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2003. But the truce led to a bitter internal conflict between a group led by Gorlosa and another by Dilip Nunisa.

The conflict eventually resulted in a split in 2004 and Dilip with the help of Pranab Nunisa upstaged Gorlosa from the outfit.

Gorlosa soon renewed his old ties with the NSCN (I-M) and formed his own group, DHD (J). The group is also referred to as Black Widow.

Telegraph India

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