The memorandum signed by L Hlima Keivom, president, and Seiminthang Thangngew, general secretary of the Forum, said despite several representations, the State Government continues to ignore the democratic demand of the majority indigenous people of the district. They alleged that the government has preferred to bow down before the terror-tactics of DHD (J) militants backed by the -imasa dominated and scam-tainted autonomous council leadership and went ahead with renaming of the district. The leaders further said that several rounds of talks held on the issue have also failed to yield any tangible outcome. They also said that if the Government can concede to the illegal demand of the Dimasas by renaming the district, ignoring the majority non-Dimasa indigenous people, it is beyond their understanding why their constitutional and justified demand has not been given any consideration.
They reminded the government about the formation of a Group of Ministers to look into the demand of the Indigenous People’s Forum way back on July 16, 2010. It did not hold any talks and the GOM had to be dissolved in the wake of the Assembly Elections. The GOM is yet to be set up after the formation of the new ministry. Such an attitude of the government, the leaders pointed out, amounts to betraying the trust and confidence of people and their democratic and peaceful agitation to achieve their legitimate demand of bifurcation.
L Hlima Keivom and Seiminthang Thangngew cautioned that this kind of step-motherly treatment towards the indigenous people in their ancestral land could not but have unpleasant consequences. The people have suffered for long and their patience is running out they said. Wisdom, they added to say, lies in the immediate solution of the problem – bifurcation of the Hills District.
The memorandum also urged the Chief Minister to take steps without further delay in the overall interest for peace and harmony in the trouble-torn district. A copy of the memorandum was also forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.