Guwahati: The Indigenous Peoples’ Forum (IPF) has pushed for the division of Dima Hasao’s hill district into two districts.
The forum, a collection of students from the Biete, Hmar, Kuki, Karbi, Vaiphei, Zeme Naga, Khelma, and some other non-Dimasa ethnic groups, has been leading a series of agitations calling for the division of the hill district since the state government renamed the formerly North Cachar Hills to Dima Hasao via notification on April 1, 2010.
The Indigenous People’s Forum on March 23 has energised the entire environment of Haflong city under the theme “No Migration No Rest.”
The Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPF) organised a large march today in one of Assam’s hill districts, calling for the division of the former North Cachar Hill District and the current Dima Hasao district into two distinct districts.
The Dima Hasao district and the territory of Haflong Nagar Samiti should be divided into two distinct districts, the Indigenous Peoples Forum demanded at a rally.
Hundreds of demonstrators held signs in front of the collector’s office for the Haflong district, demanding that the desire to split the Dima Hasao district into two distinct districts be granted.
Also, a document seeking the division of the Indigenous People’s Forum into two distinct districts was delivered to Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Significantly, the IPF has been calling for the division of the Dima Hasao district since March 30, 2010, when the name North Cachar Hill District was changed to Dima Hasao. However, according to the Indigenous People’s Forum leaders, the state government has not yet demanded the division of the district.
Meanwhile, the organization’s officials told the media that departmental action should be taken against the person pestering the PRC and that the harassment of the general public perpetrated in the name of PRC verification should end right away.
A number of Dimasa organisations vehemently rejected the demand by non-Dimasa factions to split Dima Hasao into two distinct states earlier in 2022.