Guwahati, August 08 2009: A fact-finding mission by Ahmedabad-based rights body 'Justice on Trial' has held autonomy under the Sixth Schedule of Constitution and the 'Greater Nagalim' demand of Naga separatist group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) responsible for the ethnic conflict in restive North Cachar Hills district of Assam.

"When people are granted autonomy under the Sixth Schedule, they begin to think that the area is their nation," Y R Patil, a member of the fact-finding mission, told mediapersons here on Friday.

He criticised the Dimasa tribe for their demand to change the nomenclature of NC Hills.

"What's wrong with NC Hills," he asked.

The Dimasas are demanding the renaming of NC Hills as Dima Hasao Raji.

The demand, though, has been rejected by the state government on the ground that they constitute only 43 per cent of the total population of NC Hills.

Equally criticising the Naga militants for fomenting trouble, Patil said, "The presence of Naga militants always disturbs the economic, religious and political textures of the neighbourhood." In this regard, he observed that unless the Centre ruthlessly stamps out insurgency, things would not improve.

One of the contentious demands of the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) is the creation of Greater Nagalim by slicing out parts of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Dimasas are wary of it since the NC Hills falls under this design and hence their demand for Dima Hasao Raji.

The Zeme Nagas, the second largest tribal group in the district, opposed the demand along with other smaller tribes.

The Dimasas viewed the Zeme Naga opposition as part of a greater design to include NC Hills under Greater Nagalim movement.

The demands have led to the armed conflict between the groups representing the respective communities.

At least 65 people have been killed while over 12,000 others rendered homeless in the violent conflict since March this year.

The five-member fact-finding team, comprising former MP High Court judge Justice M V Tamaskar, former NHRC member Nafisa Hussain, former Rajasthan Additional Advocate General G S Gill, retired IPS Officer Y R Patil, and social activist Ram Kishore Pasari, lambasted the Assam Government for gross neglect of the internally displaced people, most of whom are currently languishing in relief camps.

"The situation is explosive and needs immediate intervention from both the state and the central governments, as the communities have been living in constant fear and without any means of livelihood," Justice Tamaskar said.

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