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Dimaraji bandh from Tuesday

The All Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU) calls for a 36-hour Dimaraji bandh from 5.00 am on Tiesday 5.00 pm on Wednesday 7 demanding steps to fulfil the demands of Dimasa community.

In a statement issued here, the ADSU says the existence of the Dimasa people, one of the aboriginal tribes of the North-eastern States is at stake.

Even after 60 years of independence, there has been no trace of development or change in the Dimasa society in any aspect. On the
other hand, numerous problems are cropping up everyday.

The Dimasas people have remained backward, neglected and have been deprived of all legitimate constitutional benefits. The rapid development of other higher and more intellectual sections of the society has surprised the Dimasa community, which is why they blamed it all on the Asom Government.

The reorganisation of Cachar, NC Hills, Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts of Asom had been made without keeping in view the Dimasa people’s predominance and legitimacy as the last ruling dynasty over the land.

This has badly affected their existence, safeguard and progress.The Dimasa-populated areas of Cachar, Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts adjacent to the NC Hills border ought to have been included in the NC Hills district so as to serve the interest of the Dimasa people.

But the State Government has done nothing about the matter.The boundary between Asom and Nagaland has not yet been demarcated and settled, in consideration of all traditional rights, claims of the people.

As a result, a sizeable population of the Dimasa people have been left behind in Nagaland. Their existence and development being a minority, are insecure, obstructed and ignored.The Asom-Nagaland border ought to have been made in order that the entire Dimasa Kachari tribes or other non-Naga people in and around Dimapur, who have been there since the Kachari rule might leave for Asom.

But, the Dimapur area was not returned to Asom even after the expiry of the agreement.The only two autonomous hill districts of Asom, Karbi Anglong and NC Hills have been neglected and are lying without any development.

No higher educational institute like a central university, Indian Institute of Technology, medical college, agriculture college, polytechnic, commerce and business management centres have been provided to facilitate the people in spite of knowing about the backward nature of the tribal localities.

In Nagaland, the minority Dimasa Kachari tribes were not provided with constitutional rights till the last Assembly elections in 1993.Non-tribal people from outside the State, who have surpassed the Dimasa tribe in number by illegal immigration have been provided with reserved MLA seats, but not so to the Dimasa community, they say.

The entire Dimasa people as well as all aboriginal tribes have been ignored and ill-treated throughout the North-east since the dawn of independence.

They have been deprived of all legitimate constitutional rights and privileges and socio-economic development by the ruling majorities and intellectually-advanced societies.

As a result of these deprivations, demands for separate homelands by Tiwas, Koches, Rabhas and Misings are in the process.The Assamese community of Bokajan and Howraghat areas are also trying to secede their areas from Karbi Anglong so as to merge with Sivasagar and Nagaon from where they came earlier.

These areas were carved out and included in Karbi Anglong during its creation in 1952, without considering the sentiments and security of the people by the then intellectual experts.

The peace talks between the Centre, the State Government and the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) has been rather slow and the ADSU has alleged that this was a ploy of the Government not to concede to their demand for a ‘Dimaland’ or ‘Dimaraji’. A separate state is the only acceptable solution to the Dimasa community.

The demands also include removal of all ‘foreigners’, who have illegally migrated to the area from outside. These foreigners should be deported according to the guidelines laid down in the Assam Accord. The Dimasa community has also demanded the removal of all non-tribal ‘outsider’ communities, including the Asomiya community, from Dimasa-dominated areas.

The Dimasas have urged upon the Asom Government to immediately evict all encroachers in their cultivable lands, including some Chakesang Naga tribesmen from the area of Manglumukh.

They have also asked the Asom government to vacate the plot of land occupied by the Sericulture Farm in Khaspur, originally belonging to the last royal capital of the Dimasa community.

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