The militants have surrendered in three batches since September 10 along with 122 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, 16 M16 rifles, one G3 rifle and other arms and ammunition. The surrendered militants have been kept in two temporary camps at Kapuchera and Jatinga in NC Hills district.
The first batch of 12 DHD(J) cadres surrendered with 11 weapons and ammunition at Haflong last Thursday. Another batch of 193 militants laid down arms last Sunday and 179 on Monday. "This is the sign of a new dawn that promises change in NC Hills district,'' said defence spokesman Col R Kalia.
"We are expecting DHD(J) commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai to join the surrender ceremony,'' a senior police officer said. Hojai, reportedly in Nepal, is in contact with Assam police. The outfit's chairman Jewel Garlosa was arrested in July from Bangalore.
DHD(J), which is demanding a separate state of Dimaraji comprising the NC Hills district of Assam and parts of Nagaland, has let loose a reign of terror in the district for the last six years and is responsible for the killing of 300 civilians and police and security personnel.
The government has laid down new rules for militants which will come in force once the truce is declared and peace talks with the outfit begin. Some of the points of the new rule are: abjuring violence by depositing all weapons; staying away from extortion by moving to designated camps; and, allowing only the top leadership of the outfit to be present for talks.
The Assam government is now planning to hold a `formal surrender ceremony' at the district headquarters Haflong on September 24 in the presence of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, currently in the US. Gogoi is expected to return on September 23.
A major worry for the administration and security forces is that the breakaway faction, led by James Dimas with about 60 cadres, is yet to join the peace process. They are still in the jungles and armed to teeth, a source said.