problems in action in the NC Hills which has culminated in killing and arson in the form of communal clash. The Indigenous
People’s Forum (IPF) is of the opinion that there is no enmity between the communities living here.
The sporadic violence in the form of communal clashes in NC Hills were only the outward manifestation of the hidden political
problems or illness inside which is not diagnosed and therefore, a high level judicial enquiry should be setup to probe the
different causes of violence in the grass root level if the authorities are really into building peace and harmony in the
district.
The most transparent reason for the present polarization among the different tribes living in the district is certainly the
strong urge of some section among the Dimasa community to change the district nomenclature of NC Hills since 2003 based on
the idea that Cachar means Kachari, a name given to the Dimasa as published by the Dimasa apex body in The Sentinel dated,
May 27 last which is still controversial to many writers.
The word Cachar was derived from the Sanskrit word Kochchhar which means a vast area of land in the foot of the hills or
valley near the river.
The Sylhetis of Bangladesh called any community, whether he is a Dimasa or any other tribe or even the Bengalis living in
this area, as Kachari but the geographical features of hills are very different and does not consist of the above
etymological meaning of Kochchhar.
It were the Britishers who included the hills under Cachar and then named it the North Cachar for administrative arrangement
only. The hill region which now formed a part of the NC Hills have already been occupied by the different tribes and no trace
of any existence of kingdom was there at that time.
These hill tribes therefore, can neither agree with their ancestral land to any particular community nor can always be silent
when there are people to confiscate their land heritage through different political methods.
The IPF was found through the unanimous decision and consensus of all the apex bodies who are like-minded towards this forum
not by mere defeated leaders as alleged by JNH, the Dimasa apex body in The Sentinel.
The purpose of forming it is to stand by the political rights and safeguard the interest of the minority tribal groups and to
struggle democratically with the principle of non-violence and to protect them from being deprived and trampled upon and also
to oppose changing of district nomenclature.
The ugly turn of arson and killing of the current days are outside the knowledge and activities of this forum. Members of JNH
in no way should feel irritated with the democratic activities of IPH or be it that of its erstwhile organization like PDF or
ITF since JNH is not the sole organization to be pontificating others in the district and they are requested to give up their
ill-disposed towards the IPF.
The present violence in the form of communal clash was ignited by the brutal attack on the innocent villagers of Tungje
killing two persons on March 19 last and then the killing of another two persons at Boreneu, a Zeme hamlet by the DHD
militants without any provocation. Had not such brutal attacks on the innocent Zeme villagers occurred, the people of NC
Hills would not witness the ugly phenomenon like burning of villages, killing which we have seen today.
When the violence activated by the militants was in lull for someday and the peace meeting was attended by various
communities at the Cultural Institute’s Hall in Haflong on May 27 organized by the senior citizens of Halflong, the general
public got a jubilant ray of hope for peace and normalcy to return but unfortunately, the same act of killing of innocent
Zeme villagers of Mapau was repeated in the following days and consequently innocent Dimasa villagers were killed.
It is very unfortunate for the general people of NC Hills that national projects like BG conversion, construction of
East-West corridor which will be the big factor of changing the socio-economic condition and to make living standard on a par
with other districts have come to a standstill due to the brutal activities of the underground militants.
Running trains are continuously being attacked due to which people of the whole region have been badly affected. The
government authorities should take steps immediately bring in peace and harmony in the district and take steps to punish the
culprits.