GUWAHATI, Jan 7 — The proscribed Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) will demand a separate State for Dimasas whenever it sits for the peace talks with the Government of India (GoI) as a sequel to the truce. Talking to this newspaper here, the self-styled commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the outfit, Pranab Nunisa declared, “our primary demand before the Government of India during the peace negotiation will be creation of a separate State (Dimaraji) for Dimasa tribe. We feel, the problems of our people will never get resolved sans a separate State within the territory of India.”
The C-in-C said it took about six months efforts on part of the Government to persuade the DHD which has been terrorising parts of North Cachar and Karbi Anglong hill districts at gun-point for years, to announce ceasefire with security forces on December 31 last. “There is time for everything in life. For us, it was time to fight and struggle for our people till a few days back. Now we think it is time to talk with the Government of India for the sake of finding a lasting solution to the Dimasa problem,” Sri Nunisa said adding that the success of the peace process will mostly depend on how sincere the Government is towards solving the Dimasa problem.
Regarding the proposed boundary of ‘Dimaraji’, the DHD leader stated that the outfit want a State for Dimasas comprising the two hill districts and Dimasa inhabitated pockets in southern Assam. “Failure of the two autonomous district councils in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills to solve the problem of Dimasa tribe has forced the DHD to demand a Dimaraji which we feel, will be the only way to uplift out people,” Sri Nunisa maintained. He informed that joint monitoring group (JMG) on ceasefire will meet soon following which designated camps would be set up for peace-time accommodation of DHD cadres. The outfit wants four designated camps one each at Cachar district boundary, Dhansiri in Karbi Anglong, at Lanka in Nagaon and a central designated camp near Haflong in NC Hills.
When drawn to the latest demand raised by Dimasa Village Heads’ Association for giving Dimapur, the erstwhile capital of historic Dimasa kingdom, back to Dimasas, the DHD C-in-C maintained, “Historically Dimapur belongs to Dimasas although politically and constitutionally it now belongs to Nagaland. During the creation of Nagaland, the then Government of India and Assam Government gave away Dimapur on lease to Nagaland without the consent of Dimasas. It was now up to the government to decide whether Dimapur should be given back to Dimasas or not.” With the ceasefire with the security forces in place, the DHD chief pledges to stop all sorts of operations including extortions. However, he says that the outfit will welcome ‘voluntary donations’ for Dimasa cause.