48-hour bandh in Dima Hasao from today

SILCHAR: The issue of bifurcation of central Assam's Dima Hasao district continues to haunt the once trouble-torn Barail Hills range with non-Dimasa organizations calling a 48-hour Dima Hasao district bandh from Monday.

In Haflong, Indigenous People's Forum (IPF) functionaries said the strike will start at 5 am on Monday and will continue till 5 am on Wednesday.

A number of non-Dimasa organizations of the hill district, including Indigenous Students' Forum (IPF) and Indigenous Women Forum (IWF), have announced their support to the bandh.

Essential services will, however, remain out of preview of the proposed bandh, said the IPF.

The bandh organizers want Dimasa-dominated Maibang sub-division to be made a separate district as Dima Hasao and there should be another district comprising Haflong sub-division which should be known as North Cachar Hills.

This is part of a series of bandhs and other agitation programmes in the last three years by the IPF, IPF and IWF on the issue and it helped trigger fresh tension in the region, which became calm following surrender of arms by major militant outfits, including Dima Halam Daoga (Jewel), in October, 2009.

The Assam government, on April 1, 2010, changed the name of North Cachar Hills to Dima Hasao, triggering large-scale protest by non-Dimasa tribes, including Hmar, Kuki and Zeme Nagas living in this district.

Authorities have tightened security measures throughout the hill district in view of the bandh, an official said.