Sangbor Hills (North Cachar), Jan. 21: Barely three weeks after a ceasefire between the militant Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) and the Centre began, the outfit has accused security forces of violating the ground rules that were framed for cessation of hostilities.
The charges were levelled at a press briefing ? the first since the ceasefire came into effect ? at the outfit?s ?third battalion headquarters? at Sangbor, 46 km from Umrangshu in North Cachar Hills district.
DHD president Jewel Garlosa alleged that during the past three weeks, there had been four incidents of violation of ceasefire ground rules by security forces. The latest, he said, was an attempt by three officials of the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) to sneak into the fortified headquarters here yesterday.
He claimed that the three SIB officials were immediately taken into ?custody? by armed activists of the ?Dimasa National Army?, when they tried to sneak in when the eighth general session of the outfit?s national council was being held at the ?battalion? headquarters here.
Though the intelligence officials were set free after questioning, the DHD president said the outfit would lodge its protest with the Union home ministry about the violation of ceasefire ground rules. The council meeting was convened by the outfit to seek the ?mandate of cross-sections of the people.?
The outfit also claimed that family members of an activist were allegedly tortured by the army. The militant narrated the incident to mediapersons during the news conference, which was also addressed by the outfit ?commander-in-chief? Pranab Nunisa and vice-president Dilip Dimasa.
Dimasa asked the cadre to be fully prepared to resume armed operations in the event of peace talks failing or the ?ceasefire agreement remaining unfulfilled or neglected by the government?.
Reiterating the outfit?s demand for the creation of a separate ?Dimaraji state? covering all Dimasa-inhabited areas of the ancient Kachari kingdom, DHD president Jewel Garlosa said a detailed memorandum, including a map of the territory demanded by it, would be submitted to both the Centre and the state government soon.
The entire Sangbor hill range, which extends to the Indo-Bangladesh border, was virtually under the control of the outfit, as was evident from the fact that some 200 armed DHD militants were seen manning the hilly road leading to the ?battalion? headquarters and the venues.
The headquarters is a cluster of huts constructed out of bamboo and polythene but equipped with generators.