14-day Dima Hasao bandh suspended

HAFLONG, March 7 – The 14-day Dima Hasao bandh that began from 5 am today called jointly by the Dimasa Students’ Union (DSU), Dimasa Women Society (DWS) and Dimasa Mothers’ Association (DMA) has affected the normal life at Haflong. Since the morning today, the business establishments including market, schools, government and semi-government offices remained closed. All the vehicles remained off the road. The ASTC also suspended its services.
The organisations are demanding to take back TET from the district of Dima Hasao, to hold fresh process of eligibility test by the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council and to protect their rights and livelihood.
Several members and office-bearers of these organisations submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Dima Hasao in presence of Executive Member, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council Kalijay Sengyung and Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta, etc. After a prolonged discussion and with the request of EM, Sengyung and DC Dilip Borthakur, the leaders of these organisations however, agreed upon to suspend their 14-day-long Dima Hasao bandh temporarily up to March 13. The organisations also warned that if the Government fails to fulfil their demands within March 13, they would be compelled to launch agitation for which the organisations could not be held responsible.

source: Assam tribune

Assam Rifles carries out development Project in Dima Hasao District

Assam Rifles carries out development Project in Dima Hasao District

Haflong, March 8,2012 – In continuation of its Civic Action Programes, the Haflong based 25 Assam Rifles under Headquarter 23 Sector Assam Rifles handed over Solar Street Light at Village Hegbung and also provided assistance to the only High School in Ditokchara Village in terms of giving them desk and benches and also Syntax tanks.
Gaon Burah of Village Hengbung and all villagers were present for the occasion. Gaon Burah of village Hengbung expressed gratitude to 25 Assam Rifles  and requested them to have more such goodwill projects in their village. The principal, teachers and students of high school Ditokchara were extremely grateful to the Assam Rifles unit for their support towards upliftment of their school.

The gesture carried out by 25 Assam Rifles under aegis of the Directorate General Assam Rifles has helped in building the basic infrastructure for the village and also for the high school. The effort will not only boost the relations between Security forces and civilian but also generate goodwill in future

 

Assam lagging behind in giving 100 days of work

GUWAHATI: Assam has to do a lot more to improve the rate of implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) by ensuring 100 days work for the beneficiaries.
According to figures compiled by the Union ministry of rural development, 1008364 households demanded employment under MNREGA during 2011-2012 up to March. Though 1002870 out of 1008364 families were provided employment, only 9131 availed 100 days of work, the ministry said. The average "persondays" of work per household in the state for the current fiscal is 22.53.
In Dima Hasao district, 5551 out of 5572 households were provided jobs. But none of them had 100 days work for the current fiscal. Dibrugarh district could provide 100 days of work to only seven out of 24656 households who were provided with employment under the Act. A total of 25014 families in Dibrugarh sought employment during the fiscal.
Nine out of 25090 households availed 100 days work in Karimganj district. Dhubri and Golaghat districts could provide 100 days of work to only 10 households each against 25048 and 22844 respectively.
Among the 27 districts, the highest number of households provided with 100 days work is Kokrajhar. Out of 48570 families, which were provided employment in Kokrajhar district, 4319 got 100 days work. Karbi Anglong stood second among the districts in providing 100 days works to 1159 households. In the remaining 20 districts, the number of households getting 100 days works ranged between 943 in Dhemaji and 19 in Cachar.
Last month, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh reviewed the implementation of various rural welfare schemes, including MNREGA, in the northeast. Ramesh, during a function here, has specifically emphasized on proper utilization of funds under MNREGA.
Ramesh said each of the 2200-odd panchayats in the state get Rs 1 crore under MNREGA. The union minister also reminded the state government of MNREGA scams emerging in different parts of the country, and asked for strict monitoring of funds.
source: TOI

Concern over Railway apathy

Frequent late running of trains like Barak valley, Cachar Express, Agartala Express and Hill Queen along with unjustified detention of these trains in several stations caused serious concern among the travelling passengers of entire southern Assam, Tripura and Manipur, alleged the people of Dima Hasao district.
These trains running from Lumding – Silchar and Lumding – Agartala and vis-à-vis, most of the times become late due to unauthorised detention in undesignated station for the reasons best known to the operating authority of the N F Railway. On February 29 the Down Agartala express was cancelled and the Up Agartala express was 19 hours late. The Barak Valley which left Silchar at 8.30 am reached Lumding at 11.20 pm covering a distance of only 219 km causing immense inconvenience to the travelling passengers. This train was detained first at Katakhal for one hour, from Badarpur it left at 12.30 pm then it was detained at Maibang, Mupa and at last at Manderdisa just before the Lumding station for more than 45 minutes. 
People alleged that the sufferings of the travelling passengers have never been counted by the railway authority neither the minimum facilities for the passengers were being provided rather these passengers were being subjected to face uncertainty and utter inconvenience, sometimes harassment. In fact, the railway authority has always been undermining the safety, security and punctuality though these were the motto of the railway as it says.
The condition of Hill Queen, a train which runs in-between Lumding- Lower Haflong to connect with the Jansatabdi is more concerning. Actually this train was introduced to get connection of Jansatabdi at Lumding but due to such unjustified detention in several stations, the passengers of this train often missed Jansatabdi and face untold sufferings.
 When the Assistant Station Master at Manderdisa Sri J. Ahmed was enquired about the cause of such detention of the trains, he disclosed that he has been serving there for 7 years along with all these problems ‘see my telephone is not working, there is no alternative means of communication with Lumding, the HQ. If you have some thing to say, why don’t you talk to Lumding or the HQ? Nothing could be done if you talk to me. Ahmed further disclosed that during his 7 years of stay at Manderdisa he has been facing such problems many a times. He could not assure when the people of this area could be relieved of such sufferings.

source:assam times{DIMA HASAO}

Dima Hasao to move Centre against highway firms

Nagaon, March 1: The Dima Hasao Autonomous Council will move Delhi with allegations about non-maintenance of existing roads by the companies engaged in construction of the East-West Corridor.

A council source said today a team from the council would meet senior officials of the Union transport ministry in the second week of March to apprise the latter about how the companies were violating construction guidelines.

This will be the second time the council has raised allegations against the companies since work started on the road project in 2004.

As alleged, companies are not interested in routine maintenance of the existing roads, which are being used to transport construction material on 10-wheeled trucks.

“We have two broken bridges on the existing NH 54(E) and both should be repaired before rains start. The dilapidated highway should also be repaired within the dry season. We have been asking the companies time and again to do so, but they are not at all interested,” the council source said.

A 154km stretch of the corridor runs through the troubled hill district. Construction is divided into seven packages and six construction companies have been engaged. Of the six, two companies — Punj Lloyd Ltd and HCC — are the oldest, being engaged in 2004.

“We have noticed violation of guidelines by the old groups. Punj Lloyd has reached 70 per cent physical progress, but their work is not satisfactory at all. Companies engaged in construction in two packages — Harangajao-Jatinga (AS 21) and Jatinga-Nrimbanglo (AS 22) — are creating hardships for the people by not maintaining the existing roads used by them,” the council source said.

National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) sources, however, said the companies were maintaining the roads and bridges on a routine basis and that there was no apathy or negligence as alleged. “Of the six companies engaged in the district, four are newcomers. After four companies surrendered work because of security reasons three years back, the new companies were entrusted work very recently. The council should give them some time to go about their duties,” an NHAI source said.

The source added that an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain latest maintenance position and companies would be questioned if found guilty.

In 2008, the council moved the Union transport ministry against the companies who had left the district without finishing the construction. The council authorities had asked Union transport minister Kamal Nath to look into the issue, as the companies had left the district leaving the existing national highway in pitiable condition.

The ministry later entrusted the maintenance (with financial support) to the council’s PWD (Maibong division) till the new companies took over. “If they want, we can take charge of the maintenance. But we will not tolerate it if they paralyse road communication till the construction ends,” the council source added.

Centre permits gauge conversion construction through Barail Sanctuary

The Union ministry of environment and forests gave its nod to continue the construction of the 214-km Lumding-Silchar broad gaugeBarail Sanctuary in Dima Hasao district recently. The Dima Hasao DFO had stopped the construction of the project in 2008 as the railway department did not have the permission of the ministry for construction through the sanctuary. The ministry of environment and forest gaveits nod last week and conveyed its decision to its Assam counterpart and the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities.

According to the order signed by the conservator of forests (C) of the Shillong-based northeast regional office of the concerned Union ministry, the Railways can now go ahead with the construction work across an area of 3.6 hectares through the sanctuary. The state government also sent a copy of the order to the chief conservator of forests, Dima Hasao, in Haflong.

According to the clauses of the permission, NFR has to pay a sum of Rs 3,048,136 to the Assam forest department before going on with the project so that the Assam environment and forest department can carry out afforestation in 7.2 hectares of land of the Barail reserve forests, in line with the guidelines of the Supreme Court.

Sources say that the nod for construction will go a long way in ensuring that the work for the broad gauge project, the foundation for which was laid in 1996, is completed by December, 2013 and commissioned by January, 2014 in accordance with the NFR plan. NFR had earlier announced that the project will be completed by 2006 and then 2009 and again by 2012. The project has been a victim of 'logistical problems' in the past years, sources said.

The authorities said the construction of the longest tunnel in the section, tunnel 10, with a length of 3,235 metres, has started from both sides and is expected to be completed by October, 2013.

The Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam-Badarpur-Kumarghat gauge conversion project, which is 368.46 km long, was sanctioned in 1996-97. The project, costing Rs 4,073.50 crore, was declared a national project in 2004.

ASDC’sconcern over the non-payment of salaries of the Council employees

Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) Dima Hasao District Committee expressed great concern over the non-payment of salaries of the Council employees commonly known as “Normal Employees” of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) for more than 6(six) months stating that the present Congress-I- ruled Dima Hasao Autonomous Council has failed to make regular payment of salaries of the “Normal employees” and these employees have been facing financial hardship, stated its Office Secretary Jayanta Nunisa today in a press release.
The release also said that the ASDC District Committee doubts the sincerity of the Council headed by Mr. Debajeet Thaosen, Chief Executive Member of DHAC as to whether the latter (Debajeet Thaosen-led Council) has made an earnest effort to convince the Chief Minister of Assam as well as the Authorities of Central Govt that there has been an acute shortage of funds for regular payment of salaries of the  Normal employees in the DHAC and that therefore there is a great need for providing adequate amount of fund particularly for payment of “Normal employees” salaries to DHAC.
“It is to be noted here that until and unless a requisite amount of funds meant for regular payment of ‘Normal employees’ salaries are provided under any provision of rules/norms from the Central Government to DHAC, the perennial problems of financial crisis particularly in respect of payment of Normal employees salaries in DHAC will continue to exist and thereby it will be causing the economic plight of Normal employees from bad to worse. On the other hand, it seems that there is still a lack of taking any measures on the part of the present Council Rulers for ways and means of raising the Council’s revenue/royalty from different sources” concludes the release.

Congress Parliamentary Party hails the newly elected Chairman of DHAC Kur Rongpi

Haflong, February 21,2012 – The Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) has expressed its deep gratitude to all the members who voted in favour of its nominee Kur Rongpi, MAC from Garampani Constituency in the election to the post of the Chairman, DHAC and congratulated Kur Rongpi on being elected very comfortably, says the CPP spokespersons Kalijoy Sengyung EM and Samuel Changsan MAC in a press release dated 16 February, 2012.

          The CPP added that it may be mentioned here that the whole election process was conducted in a free and fair manner through secret ballot as per the Council Rules, upholding democratic principles. Since the INC Party enjoyed total majority in the Council, the CPP, DHAC had tried hard for a consensus candidate to avoid contest in the election. However, the Dima Hasao DCC(I) put up its own nominee Depolal Hojai, MAC from Wajao Constituency as the candidate in the election to the Chairman, DHAC, thereby blatantly defying the directive of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) which reads : “In face of the election of the Chairman of Autonomous Council it is desired that no Member of Autonomous Council tainted / charge sheeted by the CBI / NIA,etc. or suspended by the Party should be allowed to contest for the post of Chairman of Autonomous Council and none of our Party Members are to support the Candidature of such candidates. All are directed to ensure strict compliance of the above directive.”

          The release further stated that since Depolal Hojai had already  been charge sheeted by the CBI, the Congress Parliamentary Party, DHAC had to abide by the directive of the APCC and put up its own nominee Kur Rongpi, a clean MAC who has not been charge sheeted by the CBI or NIA , in the election to the post of the Chairman, DHAC. It may be mentioned here that the Post of the Chairman, DHAC got vacant after Depolal Hojai resigned from the post as he was charge sheeted by the CBI and his resignation was accepted by His Excellency the Governor of Assam.

          Moreover, in its review meeting held on 16/02/2012, the Congress Parliamentary Party, DHAC unanimously resolved that all the Members who had defied the directive of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and the decision of the Congress Parliamentary Party, DHAC relating to the election of the Chairman, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council held on 15.02.2012, would be removed from the Executive Committee, Honourary Posts of Chairmanship of various departments and nominated MAC, DHAC. The collective decisions of the CPP, DHAC were taken after much thought and deliberations in the greater interest of the INC Party and the people of the Dima Hasao District, concludes the release.

source: haflong times club

Terrorism affects education in NE: Sibal

Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said that around 16 million children do not attend schools in the country.  Addressing the convocation ceremony of Tezpur Central University on Friday, he said that the government has taken all possible steps to make them literate within this decade. Assam Governor J B Patnaik said the institution has attempted to strike a balance between global expansion of knowledge and national and regional aspirations. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who attended the function urged the students to work to change the society. The Governor presented degrees and diplomas to 1050 students of the university besides awarding doctorate degrees to 50 students.
source:assam times

ASSAM RIFLES DONATES SOLAR LIGHT TO VILL BORO CHANAM, DISTRICT DIMA HASAO

            In continuation of its Civic Action Programes, the Haflong based 25 Assam Rifles under                  Headquarter 23 Sector Assam Rifles provided solar street light for Village Boro Chanam, district Dima Hasao on 09 Feb 2012.
25 Assam Rilles handed over the Solar Street lights to the Gaon Burah of Village Boro Chanam. All villagers of Boro Chanam were also present for the occasion. Gaon Burah of village Boro Chanam expressed gratitude from the villagers to the 25 Assam Rifles  and requested to have more such goodwill projects in the village from Assam Rifles .

            The gesture carried out by 25 Assam Rilfes under aegis of the Directorate General Assam Rifles Project has helped in building the basic infrastructure for the village. The effort will not only boots rhe relation between security force an civilians but also generate goodwill in future.

Ruolsafak celebrated at Haflong DIMA HASAO DISTRICT {Assam}

Ruolsafak, the major festival of Hrangkhol is being celebrated with traditional fervor and fun fare in different villages like Muolpung, Lungkhok, Zion, Rabi etc of Dima Hasao by the people of Hrangkhol community today (Wednesday)

This community festival is most important for Hrangkhol community. It is also considered to be the harvesting festival as well as the bidding goodbye to the passing year and welcome to the New Year. Previously the day was not fixed, the festival was celebrated accordingly to the conveniences of the village, during the last part of January and the first part of February every year. But since 1998 February, the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council warmly welcomed the festival and declared as the local holiday every year.

In the observance of the festival, both of young boys and girls of the village (kho tanggva) take the leading parts to be a grand success. Under the leadership of Tangva ulien, the youth are most engaged from ahead of the time of the actual celebration. The earnings (Vengasuoilhlo) of the village youth (khotangya) by doing physical labour and the earnings from village women (khonupui) are spent in the festival. In some village, the youth cultivate a patch of jhum land themselves and what ever earning they could get from the cultivated land, is spent for the celebration of this festival. This festival is celebrated for two days continuously. First day, early in the morning, the village priest along with his co-elders performs a ritual rites called Naran pnak/Tarpa phak/ pray to god, scarifying an older cock and hen and cooked it with rice called Nempok.

After eating theis Nempok with rice beer (Zu), the priest announces and declares the festival and its purpose to the villagers. The priest and his co-elder hold fast till noon. Holding of grand feast with the meat, rice beer, dancing and singing are the prime components of the festival. The elder may enjoy apart from the youths. 

On the 2nd Day it is for competition (ruol irsiet) on traditional games and sports, singing and dancing. At the end, at night all get together and have feast, thus Ruolsafak ends for the year.

Source: Assam times

BUSHU DIMA FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED IN THE DISTRICT OF DIMA HASAO ASSAM

Busu Dima, the biggest local festival of Dima Hasao district in Assam, began on Friday and will continue for one week. Despite a chilly Friday morning, the Busu Dima festival, also the post-harvest festival of the Dimasa Kacharis, was celebrated in every town and village of the hill district.

Residents of Dimasa-dominated areas in neighbouring Cachar, Karbi Anglong, Nogaon and Dimapur also gathered ib large numbers to join the Baidima, the name of the dazzling Dimasa dance, on the day of their much-vaunted Bihu.

NSCN militants nabbed in Dima Hasao

SILCHAR, Jan 31: Peace seemed to elude the turbulent Dima Hasao district even though the major militant outfits had laid down arms to return to the mainstream. Dreaded terrorists from the neighbouring states used to either sponsor the local outfits or directly involved themselves in subversive activities. NSCN (I-M) was instrumental in the rise of Jewel Garlosa’s DHD, the most dreaded Dimasa militant outfits which unleashed terror in the hill district. On October 2, 2009 the Jewel faction of the DHD laid down arms and since then the outfit’s activities had ebbed down majorly. But the NSCN was still active. Sources said, the Khaplang faction of the Naga militant outfit used to extend military assistance to the Hill Tiger Force, an outfit of the non-Dimasa tribes demanding bifurcation of Dima Hasao into two separate autonomous councils. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in recent times alleged that the Naga militants were behind the carnage in the Dimasa villages by the HTF militants. On Monday, army nabbed one NSCN (I-M) militant and another linkman of the outfit from Lodibasti, a Naga infested area. The militant was identified as Keishing Zeme and other one was Changlobe Kuame. An AK-56 rifle was recovered from the residence of Keishing and three AK-56 rifles and some ammunition were recovered from Kuame’s place. It was suspected that these two militants were involved in the kidnapping and murder of JS Sidhu and Ramen Sarma, two senior officers of JP Cement and Assam Mineral Development Corporation. Sources said, the arrest of two Naga militants once again proved that Dima Hasao was still the safe haven for the NSCN (I-M). Source: The Sentinel

Bridge collapsed at Mahur, Haflong

The road communications in-between Haflong – Maibang and Haflong – Laisong are totally disrupted due to bridge collapse when the NKC Construction company was passing two overloaded trucks carrying heavy load for the construction of Mahasadak near Mahur, 40 KM from Haflong in Dima Hasao on Monday at about 7 PM.

This Bailey bridge with 9 ton capacity was constructed way back in 1980s by the GREF and since then the bridge was not maintained properly. The PWD however cautioned with a signboard saying that this was a weak bridge and the load should not exceed 9 ton. But most of the construction companies engaged in the construction of Mahasadak ignoring the caution passing heavy trailers carrying heavily loaded materials and machineries to the construction site. No authority has filed any FIR for such incident till the date. 

The people of Maibang, Mahur and Laisong are facing untold difficulties due the disruption of road communication.

source:assam times

Anup biswas

Peace Accord with Black Widow rebel faction soon: Chidambaram

Guwahati, Jan 24
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday hinted that the government is planning to sign a peace accord with the Dima Halam Daogah faction of rebels led by Jewel Gorlocha (DHD-J), also known as Black Widow militants.
Attending an arms laying-down ceremony of nine militants outfits in Guwahati Tuesday, the home minister said the process of having peace initiative with the DHD-J is in the final stage and the government is likely to sign a peace accord with the outfit soon.
The other faction of the Dimasa militants led by Dilip Nunisa (DHD-N)might have to wait for some more time to formally sit in the peace process.
While the DHD-N has been in ceasefire pact with the union government since 2003, the DHD-J laid down arms before Chidambaramat a function held in Guwahati in 2009. A total of 416 cadres of the DHD-J laid down their arms before the minister and shifted to designated camps.
The process of peace talks with the DHD-N ran into rough weather as its chairman Dilip Nunisa refused to settle for anything less than 'Dimaraji' a separate Dimasa state. The other faction of Dimasa militants - DHD-J - settled with the demand for bringing the Dima Hasaodistrict under Article 244 (A) of the Constitution - for an autonomous state within a state arrangements.
The home minister, however, cautiously avoided the issue of peace process with the DHD-N and the Karbi Anglong-based Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) militants and only said that"the deliberations with the DHD-N and KLNLF have also been progressing".

Militants hurl bomb at businessman's house

PTI | 11:01 PM,Jan 23,2012 Haflong, Jan 23 (PTI) A crude bomb was lobbed at a businessman's house in central Assam's Dima Hasao district by suspected militants tonight, police sources said. No one was injured in the explosion, the sources said. The extremists hurled the bomb at the house of Sabir Laskar in Kalibari Colony under Haflong police station around 8 pm and damaged parts of the house shattering its glass windows and breaking down things inside, the sources said. Police and civil officials rushed to the site and investigations were on, they said. 

Dimasa rebels float outfit - Group aims for Dimasa kingdom

Nagaon, Jan. 23: Fifteen former leaders of the militant Dima Halam Daogah have reportedly joined hands with a Dimapur-based Naga militant group to float the Dimasa National Revolutionary Front (DNRF) in Dima Hasao district of Assam. The group, which wants to establish a separate Dimasa kingdom, comprises three top Dimasa militant leaders — R.J. Dimasa alias Arje Dimasa, Soten Dimasa and Jensingh Dimasa. These Dimasa youths had taken to the path of militancy around a decade ago. After the DHD (Dilip Nunisa) entered into a ceasefire with the Centre in 2003, they joined the breakaway Jewel Garlosa faction in 2004 and a little more than two years after the Jewel faction entered into a ceasefire in October 2009 they joined hands with an NSCN faction to float the revolutionary front. Police sources, however, did not disclose which NSCN faction’s support it had. A high-level source in Dima Hasao police said the new outfit was a pre-mature militant organisation with microscopic arms strength but its leaders had launched a massive extortion drive in Dima Hasao from its Dimapur-based camp with the help of locally enrolled cadres. The source said some businessmen and employees of companies headquartered outside the state but having a base in the district had received extortion notes from the outfit asking money for organisational work. These notes and subsequent developments have helped the police to identify the persons behind the outfit, he added. The source said the fledgling outfit was behind the kidnapping of a senior executive of Tribeni Construction Ltd, Dharmendar Yadav, who had been missing from the railway construction site at Langting, 130km from the district headquarters of Haflong, since January 12. The outfit is said to have demanded Rs 2 crore from the company for Yadav’s release. Yadav was, however, rescued from Langting on January 20 and Pritom Nunisa and Ranjan Langthasa, two close aides of the outfit’s chief, Jensingh Dimasa, were arrested. Jensingh, once a senior military cadre of the DHD, joined the DHD (J) in 2004. He reportedly left Jewel group along with his colleagues because of ideological differences. “Interrogation of the two DNRF cadres has revealed that round-the-clock search operation and area domination by security forces has forced the leaders of the new group to operate from outside the district with the help of some faithful supporters,” the source said. A source in the DHD (Jewel), however, said the faction did not have cadres by these names. “Of our 360-plus cadres, 100 had enrolled in battalion and are now undergoing training. Some of our cadres are missing and that was reported to the police. But we do not know anything about Jensing Dimasa or R.J. Dimasa.” Nunisa said his group did not have cadres of such names either. “Some cadres could possibly have adopted new names and formed the new group,” he said.

NEWS LIVE AT Kuki Revolutionary Army CAMP

NANDAN PRATIM SHARMA BORDOLOI AND RINKU BORA

A four-member crew of News Live on Thursday treaded into the deep jungles of Karbi Anglong where they were greeted by armed militants of the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA). It is for the first time that any team from the visual media had undertaken the daring journey to the KRA camps.  The KRA rebels carrying sophisticated weapons stay in makeshift camps inside the thick forests of Karbi Anglong district in Assam. Our journalists and the camera crew were welcomed by 180 cadres of the camp, most of them being teenagers trained in arms use and guerilla warfare. 

Speaking to News Live, Sergeant Major, KRA, Sinhasan Pahar said, “We are forced to wage an armed struggle for the greater interest of the Kuki community which has been neglected by the government for long.”

Our team also travelled to the Kuki villages for an understanding of the living condition of the Kukis. The women folk of the village were a deprived lot who narrated a sorry tale of government apathy.  A number of women cadres have also taken up arms against the government machinery.  

The Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) was formed in December 1999, allegedly with the support of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). In August 2007, the KRA underwent a split with the formation of the KRA-Unification in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The KRA maintains linkages with several militant outfits of the Northeast that includes: United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF), Kuki National Front - Military Council (KNF-MC), NSCN-IM, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Dima Halom Daogah (DHD).  

Since 2003, the Kuki rebels have unleashed a reign of terror in the Karbi Anglong district, killing Karbi villagers and setting houses ablaze. Their primary objective is to secure a “separate State” for the Kuki tribe within the Indian union and the unification of all scattered Kukis in the new homeland. In Assam, its declared objective is the creation of the “Kuki National Council”, an autonomous administrative council for the Kukis in the Karbi Anglong district.

1000 Crore scam against the N.C. Hill Autonomous Council: false and fabricated says Mohet Hojai

Mohet Hojai, former Chief Executive Member, erstwhile North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council now Dima Hasao Autonomous Council while coming to the special court, NIA Guwahati  told this correspondent, that the so called Rs.1000 Crore scam in N.C. Hills now Dima Hasao District which was much hyped in the local News Papers and Electronic  Private Channels during the last two and half was nothing but a political issue of the various opposition parties in the state to gain their political mileage during the last Assam Assembly Election 2011. 

According to Hojai the Annual Budget Provision of the N.C Hills Autonomous Council for the year 2008-2009 was Rs.97.05 Crore for plan fund and Rs.97.48 Crore for Non plan fund. The Non plan fund meant for payment of salaries of the state govt. employees and Rs.28.00 crore had been released by the N.C. Hills Autonomous Council out of the plan fund as stated above for payment of committed salaries to the employees of Council Normal Sector and an amount of Rs.34.42 crore out of the remaining plan fund has been released to the concerned departments for implementation of the various schemes during his short period of regime as CEM, NCHAC from 2nd Jan/2009 to 29th May/2009,  then, how it was possible to occur the so called 1000 Crore scam during the regime of  Sri Mohet Hojai, he argued. 

The so called allegation of 1000 Crore scam against the N.C. Hill Autonomous Council revealed as false and fabricated with report of the One Man Enquiry Commission headed by S.C. Das I.A.S. Principal Secretary to the government of Assam, Home and Political Department which has been submitted to the govt. of Assam dated Dispur the 3rd September 2009 wherein it clearly mentioned the receipt and expenditures of the Council during the year 2008-2009 was Rs. 194.53 Crore only.

Justifying his stand, he further stated that those who brought the so called allegation did not know about the actual Annual Budget Provision of the N.C. Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC).

Source: assamtimes

Facing extinction, Dimasas seek ULFA support

SILCHAR, Nov 29: Being buoyed that the tripartite talk among the DHD, Union and State Government would ultimately culminate in creating a separate territorial set up for the Dimasas, the Dimasa People’s Council (DPC) sought the intervention of ULFA in helping the various parts, inhabited mostly by the Dimasa, to be included in the new administrative set up. DPC urged ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa to incorporate their demands in ULFA’s charter of demands which would be placed before the Union Government. Rajkhowa, attended a conference of DPC on Monday at Kumacherra where the Dimasa leaders requested him to take up their demands to the national level. Pranay Barman, president and Amlan Barman, general secretary of the DPC said, “at the time of creation of new territorial set up, the Dimasas inhabited villages in Cachar district along with other villages or areas from Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, and Nagaland which were contiguous to Dima Hasao must be merged with new set up else ensuring Dimasa Territorial Accord will be meaningless and there will never be a permanent peace in this part of Assam.”
Claiming themselves as the ‘erstwhile rulers of this land’, the DPC leaders said, it was unfortunate that because of influx they had been reduced microscopic minority. DHD boss Dilip Nunisa said, Dimasas once provided shelter to the displaced Bengalis of the erstwhile East Pakistan on humanitarian ground but today the existence of the Dimasas was in the face of extinction. In this backdrop the Bengalis now should reciprocate the gesture of the Dimasas had once shown and should support the stand of the DPC. However, Nunisa maintained that the government was not looking after the interest of the Hindu Dimasa as he significantly drew a line between Christian and Hindu Dimasas.
DPC leaders on the other hand said, they were hopeful that the governments, both in Delhi and Dispur, had stepped up activities for solving the Dimasa problems by creating a new territorial administrative set up. But at the same time they were apprehensive that Dimasa inhabited villages in Cachar would be left out of the proposed set up. They said, “despite having all the similarities in fields of culture, social, religion, history, language, rites and rituals, the Dimasas of different districts or areas for some unknown reasons, have been given different official recognitions by the government as if they were not one. In Cachar district we have been recognized as Barmans, whereas in Nagaon we are recognized as Hojai Kachari, in Karbi Anglong as Dimasas, in Nagaland as Kachari, in Karimganj as Rukhini Barman and in Dima Hasao as Dimasa Kachari.” They alleged that the discriminatory policy of the government had created confusion not only in terms of recognition but also divided them into small bits by marginalizing them into negligible pockets. They said, a great political blunder was committed at the time of creation of NC Hills Autonomous District Council favouring the Hill Dimasas who constituted only 30 per cent of the total Dimasa population leaving aside the 70 per cent of the Dimasas uncovered and unprotected facing threat to the existence of their identity.

source:asamsentinel.com