Assam: Protest in Haflong demanding bifurcation of Dima Hasao district

The Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPF) on November 11 staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Haflong, reiterating its long-standing demand to bifurcate the existing Dima Hasao district into two separate districts.

The organisation has been voicing this demand for the past 15 years, ever since the then Congress government on March 30, 2010, renamed the erstwhile North Cachar Hills district as Dima Hasao. The Forum alleges that the renaming was done on communal lines, marginalising several other indigenous groups inhabiting the hill district.

The Indigenous Peoples Forum has since been demanding the creation of two separate districts and two autonomous councils to ensure equitable representation and development of all ethnic communities in the region. Earlier phases of the agitation had led to unrest in the hill district, the group acknowledged, but it accused the government of failing to take any concrete action to address their legitimate demand.

Speaking to reporters, IPF General Secretary L. Lima Kevme said the Forum represents 12 to 13 indigenous communities of Dima Hasao and has been seeking bifurcation to secure their political and cultural rights. He recalled that during a meeting held on October 28, 2023, in Haflong with Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the CM had assured that their demand would be fulfilled before the 2026 Assembly elections.

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“Despite repeated discussions and even the formation of committees by the state government, no step has been taken so far,” Kevme said, warning that if the government fails to act within November, the Forum will launch a stronger agitation, including district shutdowns and economic blockades. He added that the state government would be held responsible for any untoward situation that may arise.

IPF’s Working President Shamsuddin Bey Jemie also expressed disappointment over the government’s inaction. “We have been raising this demand since 2010. The Chief Minister himself gave us assurances, but till now nothing has moved forward. If the government continues to ignore our demand, the situation in Dima Hasao could once again turn tense,” he warned, while maintaining that the Forum does not wish for unrest.

The IPF submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through Deputy Commissioner Munindra Nath Ngatey, urging immediate steps to divide Dima Hasao into two administrative districts and establish separate autonomous councils for each.