Guwahati, July 31 2009: The demands for the change of nomenclature of North Cachar Hills district of Assam appears to be the reason for the ongoing ethnic clash between the Dimasas and the Zeme Nagas.

Reports said that Dimasa civil organisations and also both the Dimasa militant outfits--Dima Halam Daogah (Nunisa) and Dima Halam Daogah (Black Widow), also known as DHD (Jewel) � have been demanding the renaming of NC Hills to Dima Hasao Raji for quite sometime now despite strong opposition from other tribal communities, in particular the Zeme Nagas, inhabiting in NC Hills.

During the meeting with visiting Union Home secretary GK Pillai by both the groups hailing from Zeme Nagas and the Dimasa community today in Guwahati, the issue of the nomenclature of this restive Assam district cropped up.

Union Home secretary GK Pillai had convened separate closed-door meetings with Zeme and Dimasa apex bodies at Raj Bhavan in Guwahati today primarily to "understand" the ethnic conflict that has claimed more than sixty lives and displaced hundreds others since April.

"We have told the Union Home Secretary that the move by the Dimasas to change of nomenclature of NC Hills district and the subsequent opposition by us and other communities was the main cause of the unrest," Zeme Council president S Zeme told Newmai News Network (NNN).

In 2008, Zeme alleged, the Black Widow had warned the Zeme Nagas in a number of villages that they must back the demand for Dima Hasao Raji or face dire consequences.

"Later in that very year, they started shooting our people for opposing their demand," the Zeme Council president said.

In this regard, he also equally blamed the DHD (Nunisa) now in ceasefire for violating ceasefire ground rules and targeting the Zemes.

"In fact, they are selectively targeting us ever since they entered into a ceasefire with the Government," Zeme alleged.

The DHD (Nunisa) first signed the ceasefire agreement in 2003 and since then the truce has been periodically extended.

The Black Widow, a breakaway faction of the DHD (Nunisa), earned notoriety by unleashing a reign of terror in NC Hills.

Citing the causes of the unrest, Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom (JNH) � the apex organization of the Dimasas � claimed that the proposal to change the nomenclature was carried out only after receipt of inter-ethnic consensus.

In a memorandum to Pillai, the JNH said the British named the district North Cachar Hills ostensibly to describe the geographical location.

"But the Dimasas have always called it Hasao Raji.".

It may be mentioned that a Cabinet Sub-committee, constituted by the State Government in this regard, rejected the demand of Dima Hasao Raji pointing out that the Dimasas constitute only 43 per cent of the total population in NC Hills.

The JNH said the Zemes opposed the demand "as they see it as an impediment to the Greater Nagalim design of the NSCN.

NC Hills as a geographical location suits them better for any claim to be made.".

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