DPC wants amicable settlement of Dimasa issues

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Dec 14: The Dimasa People’s Council (DPC), a Dimasa national umbrella organization, has expressed its view on peaceful and a just solution to the problems of the Dimasas. Council president Uttam Chand Barman, at a press meet held today in the Dimasa Sanskritik Parishad premises, said the demand for Dimaraji comprising North Cachar Hills, parts of Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Nagaon and Dhansiri in Nagaland is based on historical facts.

Barman also pointed out that tripartite talks between the Centre, State and the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-Dilip Nunisa) had taken place several times since the outfit entered into a ceasefire agreement in 2003 but nothing has come out till date.

He added that the genuine and long pending demands of the Dimasas were kept pending for years by the successive governments at the Centre and the State and alleged that no sincere and serious efforts had been made to resolve the issues for the overall interest of the Dimasas and other tribes inhabiting the Dimaraji territory.

The procrastination has only resulted in complexities and ethnic division in the NC Hills, causing violence and affecting socio-economic development of the people of the district. Barman said on December 2 last, a memorandum was submitted to the interlocutor of the Union Home Ministry, PC Haldar, impressing upon him the need to evolve a just and meaningful settlement of the Dimasa problems through negotiations.

The memorandum, he said, also urged Haldar to examine the Dimaraji demand in its true perspective as well as other related issues and to initiate rational and pragmatic measures for the purpose of establishing peace in the Hills district and within the territorial jurisdiction of Dimaraji for peace and development. The memorandum, apart from the representatives of DPC, was signed by 25 different Dimasa social, cultural, student, women and literary bodies. THE SENTINEL