Hill tribes renew demand for separate autonomous council in Dima Hasao
A joint sit-in by ISF, IPF, & IWF in Dima Hasao sought restoration of the hill tribes’ political and cultural rights
File image of office of the Dima Hasao District Commissioner (Photo: Google Maps)
Haflong, Nov 12: The Indigenous Students’ Forum (ISF), Indigenous People’s Forum (IPF), and Indigenous Women’s Forum (IWF) organized a sit-in demonstration in front of the office of the Dima Hasao District Commissioner on Tuesday, demanding the immediate bifurcation of the erstwhile North Cachar Hills district and the creation of a separate Autonomous Council as per the IPF’s proposed map.
The protesters, comprising students, youth and women from the hill communities, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through the District Commissioner, Dima Hasao. The memorandum reiterated their long-standing demand for the restoration of their identity and administrative autonomy, which they claim was lost after the district was renamed on March 30, 2010.
The organizations highlighted that for the past 15 years, they have been demanding a separate autonomous district and council to safeguard their cultural, social and political rights.
They cited the forced renaming of the district as a communal act that alienated the hill tribes from their ancestral land.
The memorandum detailed the constitutional and geographical feasibility for bifurcation, emphasizing the need for a separate administrative and political set-up.
The protesters expressed concern over worsening political and economic conditions, stating that the delay in addressing their demand has led to increased suppression and hardship for the hill tribal communities. They recalled a previous assurance from the District Commissioner on October 28, 2023, that the bifurcation issue would be settled before the forthcoming Assam Assembly elections.
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