Plight of Dimasas (Assam)

[Guest guest]

NOTE:THE DIMASA PEOPLE ARE DESCENDENTS OF THE PANDAV HERO, BHIMA,

THRU HIS SON GATOTKACHA. THEY ARE DEDICATED DEVOTESS OF SHIV RAY,

THEIR NAME FOR SHIVA. THEIR REFUSAL TO CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY HAS

ENRAGED THE CONVERTED TRIBALS AND THUS THE ATTACKS.I PERSONALLY

VISITED THEIR VILLAGES AND SAW THE BEUTY AND HARMANY OF THEIR CULTURE IN ACTION.

VRN

indicjournalists, "Michel Danino"

<micheld@h...> wrote:

Dear Friends,

 

Please read the text below and spread it around. This type of cancer

threatens to cut off the whole North-East.

 

Regards,

 

MD

 

******************

ETHNIC CLASH IN NORTH CACHAR HILLS AND CACHAR

 

Hmars are not the original inhabitants of North Cachar Hills. It may

be

mentioned that till 1951 the Hmars find no mention in the census of

N.C.

Hills. The Hmars claim that they are the old Kukis. But historical

records

of British Administrators and Military officers shows that Old Kukis

comprise of Hrangkhols, Khelmas and Bietes and New Kukis of Thadao,

Changson, Singson etc. These writers even identified the class of

these

tribes. But the British records never mentioned anything about the

Hmars or

any of the twelve Hmar clans that are present in N.C. Hills today.

 

As per the 1901, 1911, 1921 and 1931 census records there were no

Hmars in

N.C. Hills. No census was taken in 1941 due to outbreak of the II

World War.

However in 1951 after the formation of the N.C. Hills District

Council, the

Hmar population in N.C. Hills was 1145 only. But due to continuous

influx

from Manipur, the population of the Hmars have increased so much so

that

today they constitute the 3rd largest population in N.C. Hills. This

obviously cannot be attributed to biological growth.

 

The sudden increase of Hmar population in N.C. Hills started from

early

1960s. Initially confined to Purana Retzol and few hamlets in Jinam

Valley,

they started to increase their holdings at Muolhoi, Saron, New Zoar,

New

Retzol and Boro Mulkhoi. The Hmars claim that they had shifted from

Jinam

valley area. But the exodus from Jinam Valley area far and few in

between.

The transfer certificate of the Hmar students showed that most of the

students were studying in Manipur. Another strategy which the Hmar

people

adopted was to enlist their names in the Hmar village council and

then shift

to new establishments named above. This strategy adopted was to avoid

detection of migration from Manipur, Cachar etc. The Late Lalvuana

Hmar, who

was an Executive Member of N.C. Hills District Council is known to be

from

Churachandpur, Manipur though he claimed to have spent his childhood

in

Jinam area. It was during his tenure as executive Member of the

District

Council that the villages of Saron and New Zoar, amongst others, were

established. The establishment of villages of Bethel and Hebron, a

Hmar

village in Umrangsu are very recent. As matter of fact the villagers

of

Hebron speak Manipuri language.

Another case as an example is that of one late Burel, APS, who came

to N.C.

Hills from Maniour and obtained his graduation from Haflong College

and

managed to procure the coveted post in the Assam Police Service by

showing

his permanent address at Moulhoi in N.C. Hills. The above two cases

are

prominent ones and hence finds mention in this brief note. But this

is an

indicator to what lies beneath the tip of the iceberg.

 

Another aspect particular to the Hmar tribe is similar to that of the

famous

story of the `Arabs Camel'. They are known to have caused trouble

wherever

they were allowed to settle. As per their own legends and Historical

records

the Hmars first entered India through Manipur where they are known to

be

causing trouble to this day. The Hmars expanded from Manipur to

Mizoram and

Assam (Cachar and N.C. Hills). Even in Mizoram they have caused

trouble to

such an extent that they had to be given Hill Development Council.

The Assam

Government Under the Late Hiteswar Saikia had granted the Hmars a

development Council in Cachar District. But in spite of all these

pampering

they have massacred their Dimasa neighbours which has lead to ethnic

clashes.

 

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS:

1. Last part of 2002 2 Dimasas killed in Muolhoi Village,

N.C. Hills.

2. 26.2.2003 3 DHD cadres kidnapped (and believed to be

killed) at

Zoar Village, N.C. Hills. Search by DHD cadres and Hmar Villagers

roughed up

in the process.

3. 31.3.2003 Dimasa villages of Chekercham, Jurkhal and

Mednatol, in

Cachar District torched by Hmar Militants; 28 killed.

4. 3.4.03 One Kuki youth killed at Diyungmukh, N.C. Hills – a

case of

mistaken identity.

5. 4.4.03 Dimasa people retaliate by lynching train passengers

belonging to Hmar community between Railway stations of Manderdisa and

Maibang in N.C. Hills..

6 5.4.03 Longma village, N.C. Hills torched by Hmars

7. 8th to 15th April 2003 Curfew clamped down as New Zoar,

Saron,

Retzol, Hebron and Simthuilung burnt by Dimasas; Shemkhor (a sacred

village

of the Dimasas), and Thaba Village burnt by Hmars.

8. 16.4.2003 Day Curfew lifted as peace returned after

peace talks

between Hmar leaders, Church leaders, Dimasa leaders and DHD leaders.

9. 7.5.03 Two DHD cadres killed at Retzol, N.C. Hills by Hmar

militants

; peace disrupted – tension created.

10. 12.5.03 Lenzou Tuolor, a Hmar leader killed and in

retaliation,

Normendu Langthasa, son of Assam Minister, Sri GC Langthasa killed.

Curfew

clamped down again but relaxed after a few days.

11. 28.5.2003 Hamjoi Daulagupu, a 17 year old Dimasa youth killed

in the

heart of Haflong Bazaar; curfew reimposed.

12. 31.5.03 Choto Longren (Jibro) Village, N.C. Hills torched ; 2

Dimasas killed. (few days prior the Army had raided this village and

seized

all the licensed guns of the villagers leaving them defenceless)

13. 1.6.03 Bethel village, N.C. Hills burnt by Dimasas; two

Dimasas

killed in Lailang and Thoi villages by Hmars.

 

 

Thus it is clear from the chronology shown above that the Hmars have

been

the provocating factor in the clashes with the Dimasas all along. The

first

act of violence (of barbarous proportions) were perpetrated by the

Hmars on

31.3.2003. And that too on the villagers who had no role on any of the

alleged "atrocities" cited by the Hmars. From 15th April to 7th May ,

there

were no incidents of violence. Peace parleys were in process. Then on

7th

May,2003, two DHD cadres were killed at Retzol by HPC(D) militants.

After

the incidents of 12.5.2003 at Haflong town, again there was calm and

situation was inching towards normalcy, then on 28.5.2003 the Hmars

struck

again followed by torching of a Dimasa village and killing of two

villagers

three days later. The logical inference is that the Hmars are the

provocateurs.

 

The 3rd June issue of `Amar Asom', an Assamese daily carries an

article

wherein it is mentioned that the central intelligence have reported

that the

Hmars have created a `Hmar Protection Cell' solely for the purpose of

eliminating the Dimasas and have gathered at Bhuban Pahar of N.C.

Hills and

that one U.S. based Hmar has sent them 80 lakh dollars to buy weapons

like

R.P.G. and AK rifles. It may be mentioned that recently Mr. Rochunga

Pudaite, a U.S. based Hmar missionary had appealed, with concocted

facts, to

the Christians worldwide and in particular of the U.S. to donate for

the

cause of the `Hmar Christian' refugees. Mr. Pudaite estimates the

cost of

rebuilding a village hut at about 1,250 dollars which is

unrealistic. The

ostensible reason is to divert funds for ulterior motives like

purchase of

firearms.

 

The genesis of the ethnic clashes has so far been attributed to

atrocities,

as alleged, perpetrated by DHD cadres on Hmar villages. Not only

this, the

demand of Dimaraji by DRDC and the renaming of N.C.Hills as

Dimahalali has

been highlighted as grave injustice to non Dimasas and therefore the

carnage

at three villages of Cachar was justified ! This is disconcerting

from

the point of view of the Dimasas that the media in various forms has

accepted this. The media has not taken the pains to analyse the social

aspect in its true perspective. Invariably, any ethnic conflict finds

root

on two issues, namely, 1. Religious, linguistic and cultural

intolerance and

2. Economic competition on a plane of communal divide. Having to

share lands

and jostling for jobs with people of another state is by itself a

factor

which gave birth to a sense of insecurity in terms of both present and

future. It also true that political forces had allowed events to take

its

own course completely ignoring the fact that this would culminate

into the

turmoil which the peace loving people of N.C. Hills are finding

themselves

in today. The concept of sharing and peaceful co-existence, as is

evident,

is not a social trait of the Hmar community.

 

Why this migration to N.C. Hills from Manipur? Why can't the Hmar

community

have a peaceful co-existence in those places? It is the lure of the

land and

other economic benefits together with harbouring of political

ambitions that

has led to exodus to N.C. Hills where the revenue administration is

slack

and facilitated by political factors.

 

This note should not be construed as an attempt to justify the recent

violences. The incidents of March 2003 are culmination of the

phenomenon and

social factors indicated briefly above. Only a proper understanding

of the

social History of N.C. Hills will enable a proper appreciation of the

recent

incidents of violence which hitherto was foreign to the inhabitants

of the

District. The Dimasas, the Jeme Nagas, the Kukis, the Hrangkhols, the

Bietes

lived a peaceful coexistence for hundred years. The tolerant attitude

of the

Dimasas were taken for granted and the continuous exodus of the Hmars

with

sure indications of designs for economic and political gains became

evident.

The influx of Hmars which started in ones and twos in the pre-

independence

period snow balled into an avalanche by late 60s and has precipitated

the

inevitable.

 

IMMEDIATE SOLUTION: The cadres of the militant group of the Hmar

People's

Conference (Democratic) have started to infiltrate into N.C. Hills.

The most

recent acts of violence perpetrated on the Dimasas are the handiwork

of the

HPC (D) cadres. The HPC (D) needs to be flushed out from N.C. Hills

and

only then the atmosphere conducive to peace talks, and rehabilitation

of

uprooted families will return.

--- End forwarded message ---

[Ivy Blue 0]

if the HPC (D) cadres. The HPC (D) needs to be flushed out from N.C. Hills than

the DHD and all other faction(dimasa) must be flushed as well.

NB-GOD's people don't die,he who dies is an evil!