April 13: Strife-torn Cachar continued to be rocked by violence while tension simmered in neighbouring North Cachar Hills district though there were no fresh incidents of violence.
In the continuing ethnic clashes in Cachar, four more houses were set ablaze in Nutan Punji area as four police outposts were put up in Hmar and Dimasa-dominated areas and police patrolling intensified.
Police sources said unidentified men torched four houses belonging to Hmar and Nepali communities. The militants also opened fire before escaping to the nearby jungles. The police also recovered a body from the Sonai river in the district. So far, six persons have been arrested in connection with the ethnic clashes in the districts.
In North Cachar Hills, curfew was relaxed for four hours from 10 am to 2 pm today since no fresh incident of violence was reported from any part of the district. But the overall situation continued to be tense.
A house-to-house search was carried out by the army in Kalibari, Baldura and Mulhai areas in Haflong town. The operation, which began late last night, continued till 10 am today. No one, however, was arrested.
Hmar leaders in Manipur today accused the Assam government of taking a partisan stand in tackling the issue. They alleged that all officials, the police and even Cabinet minister G.C. Langthasa have been “siding” with the Dimasas.
Former Manipur minister Selkai Hrangchal alleged that Lalthasa did not visit refugee camps where Hmars have taken shelter while touring the riot-affected areas.
He also lambasted Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi for not announcing ex-gratia for the Hmar victims though this was promised to the Dimasas.
Another former Manipur minister Ngursanglur, who recently toured North Cachar, said government officials did not heed the requests of the Hmar community to take precautionary measures as tension escalated in the area following clashes in neighbouring Cachar.
They said the ongoing conflict was the result of a campaign to form a Dimasa homeland called Dima Halali.
More than 200 homeless Hmars, who fled strife-torn Cachar and North Cachar districts of Assam, have been given shelter at Rengkai community hall in the south district of Churachandpur by the Hmar community in the state.
Two hundred and six Hmars, including a large number of women and children, whose homes have been gutted in the current conflict, arrived in Imphal in three buses on Friday. They were transported to Churachandpur on the same day after they were given food in a church in Imphal.
Doctors today visited the refugee camp and examined women and children who had fallen sick and distributed medicines. A total of 30 children were treated at the camp.
District deputy commissioner K.K. Chetry also visited the relief camp today.
Several voluntary organisations including the All-Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation and Paite bodies and individuals have donated relief materials and cash through the Hmar Students’ Association, which is co-ordinating relief. The Hmar community is expecting the inflow of more displaced people in the coming days.
The association has claimed that more than 4,000 Hmars have been displaced in the conflict and have taken shelter in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur and in refugee camps in Assam.
They also claimed that more than 9,000 Hmars were under siege at two villages of Mulhoi and Saron in North Cachar Hills district.