New Delhi, Dec. 27: The militant Dima Halam Daoga (DHD), which entered into a ceasefire with the Centre in January, has expressed dissatisfaction over slow progress in its peace process with the government. The ceasefire with the outfit, which has been demanding a separate ?homeland? for the Dimasas in Assam and Nagaland, was extended twice this year.
However, the Centre is yet to begin talks with the outfit though its leadership was summoned to Delhi thrice during this month.
?We were intimated about the talks in December thrice, only to be cancelled later. The operation in Bhutan was cited as the reason for delay, but we fail to understand how it is connected to the peace process,? DHD president Jewel Gorlosa, who is currently camping in the capital, said.
The DHD leadership was initially summoned to Delhi on December 15 for talks that were postponed to December 19 and later to 23. A meeting is now likely to be held before December 31, the expiry date for the ceasefire.
The DHD, based in North Cachar Hills district in Assam, was formed in 1993 after disbanding of the Dima National Security Force. As of now, it is one of the two outfits in Assam which have entered into ceasefire with Delhi, the other being the pro-talk faction of the United Peoples? Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) from Karbi Anglong.
Gorlosa expressed the hope that the ceasefire would be extended for another six months.
?We were assured that this time round we would be allowed to meet either the Prime Minister or his deputy and talks would begin after submission of a memorandum by us,? he said.
The DHD memorandum, whose prime demand is creation of Dimaraji or a Dimasa homeland, is replete with historical facts and photographs of ancient monuments erected by the Dimasa royal family. Gorlosa said the rule of the Dimasa kings once extended over a vast territory in the region.
The outfit has proposed four districts of Assam and Dimapur in Nagaland in the homeland for the Dimasas. ?Everything else is secondary for us and we will not settle for anything less than a full-fledged state. Our subsequent strategy would be based on the response from the Centre,? Gorlosa said.
Reacting to the operations launched by the Royal Bhutan Army against Northeast militants, he said the DHD had appealed to the Bhutan government to be sympathetic toward all ?revolutionary organisations? and provide medical relief to the injured non-combatants and prisoners.
?The government of Bhutan should not treat our revolutionary brothers as their enemy and we have no ill motives against them. The revolutionary organisations are fighting for their own cause in the Northeast. So, these operations and atrocities should be stopped immediately,? a DHD release said.