Ethnic cauldron simmers in NC Hills
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, September 28 2012:
Confrontation between the Dimasas on one side and Zeliangrongs, Hmars and others, has resurfaced in Assam's NC Hills today.
Several people got injured in the alleged attack launched by the Dimasas.
According to Titus Kamei, president of Zeliangrong Youth Front-Assam, Manipur Nagaland (ZYF-AMN), Elu Ndang, general secretary of Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB-AMN) and Pamei Tingenlung, president of AZSU-AMN), many leaders of the community as well that of Hmars have been hurt seriously in the attack launched by the Dimasas today.
"The democratic agitation demonstrated by the Indigenous People Forum (IPF) by way of calling a 48 hours bandh expressing their objection and discontentment against the policy of the Assam Government to declare the North Cachar Hills district as Dimasa Territorial Council, was obstructed by the Dimasa people in which five Zeliangrong social leaders identitfied as Mrs Kirangle Panme (42), who is the president of Zeme Pui Baudi, Assam, and Mrs Iwangle Riame (43), president of Indigenous Women Forum, Mr Heichungbe Zeme (40), and three students namely Mr Kibanchungbe Zeme (18), Heireilungbe Zeme (18), Mr Hourangbe Zeme (16) and other indigenous tribal leaders belonging to Hmar community namely, Keivom Hmar (40), president, Indigenous Students' Forum, Mr Sureithang Tuolor (20) were seriously injured," alleged the Zeliangrong leaders today.
According to them, the injured persons reportedly suffered injury when the Dimasa people armed with guns, and other deadly weapons such as sticks, daos and other deadly weapons attacked them today.
The injured persons ran inside the police station hoping that their lives would be saved but the police turned them out and the Dimasa people dragged them out from the police station thereby nobody came for their rescuing.
The police whose prime duty and responsibility is to secure the citizen life but failed to protect the life of the innocent citizen is strongly condemnable by every right thinking people.
Those police personnel stationed at the time of the incident should be terminated from their service immediately and impartial investigation should be done into the incident so as to build up confidence of the citizen in the police, the Zeliangrong leaders demanded.
"The bias and impartial policy of the Assam Govt is an intention to create communal disharmony in the North Cachar Hills which is inhabited by several communities wherein Dimasa is one of them.
On the pretext of talk with the Dimasa militant group and the government of Assam have been providing maximum benefits, opportunity and favour to the Dimasa people since the truce.
The Govt of Assam detrimental policy of only pleasing the Dimasa without giving equal treatment to the other indigenous tribal people has attributed the problems of the non Dimasa communities," Tingenlung, Elu and Titus alleged.
The Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland), Zeliangrong Youth Front(Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) All Zeliangrong Students' Union (AZSU) and Zeliangrong Students' Union Manipur (ZSUM) draw the immediate attention of the Assam Govt in particular and also the Govt of India to look into the matter in order to bring normalcy in the North Cachar Hills District at the earliest.
Recurrence of such incident should be the responsibility of the Assam Govt.The Zeliangrong people would take up appropriate remedial measures in order to secure the Zeliangrong people life in particular and other indigenous tribal people in general, they warned.
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