Talk to both Dilip, Jewel, says adviser

Guwahati, Nov. 11 : Joint parleys with the two Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) factions have been put forward as the best way to resolve the problems plaguing the Dimasa community.

Adviser to the influential All Dimasa Students’ Union Dilip Diphusa today said instead of talking separately with the two groups, the government should sit with both together on the negotiating table to find a solution acceptable to all.

Addressing a round-table discussion on the Dimasa issue, organised by a non-governmental organisation at the Indian Institute of Bank Management here today, Diphusa said signing of separate agreements with the two factions on the same issue might further complicate the problem.

At present, the government is holding separate negotiations with the Jewel Gorlosa and Dilip Nunisa factions of the DHD. Reports that the government is preparing to sign peace accords with the two Dimasa militant groups have been doing the rounds.

In Diphusa’s view, for reaching a final settlement to usher in lasting peace, all major contentious issues needed to be sorted out on a common platform with both the factions.

He advocated creation of an autonomous territorial council, which could fulfil the aspirations of the people, by including the contiguous Dimasa-inhabited areas outside Dima Hasao district, besides creating some sort of development councils for far-off areas where Dimasas were living.

Diphusa said the demand for carving out Dimasa-inhabited areas from districts such as Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Cachar was important since Dimasas, who had a separate kingdom, had a unique historical background and social set-up, which is critical to their existence.

“There should also be constitutional safeguards for the non-Dimasas in the proposed territorial council,” he said.

He urged the government to expedite the peace process with the DHD factions to ensure that it reached a logical conclusion through a negotiated political settlement at the earliest.

Assistant director of the Indian Council for Historical Research (Northeast regional centre) Uttam Bathari said there were certain inadequacies and disparities in the Sixth Schedule.

He said a separate parliamentary constituency should be created through delimitation exercise for the Dimasa-inhabited areas to ensure political representation of the community.

Representatives of different organisations such as Dimasa Sahitya Sabha, Dimasa People’s Council, Joint Action Committee of Dimaraji Movement, Indigenous Confederation of Indian Tribal People, All Dimasa Women Forum, Kuki Political Affairs for Dimaraji Movement and Jayantia Youth Federation attended the discussion.