HAFLONG, June 6 � The Dimasa Mothers� Association (DMA), Haflong, in a press release issued by its publicity secretary Swaruprani Hagjer, has termed as baseless the allegations made by the Indigenous Students� Forum against the Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom, the Dimasa apex body, about employing bullying tactics to subjugate other non-Dimasa indigenous tribes of Dima Hasao district.
The release maintained that the Indigenous People�s Forum and the Indigenous Students� Forum were formed on communal lines by excluding the tribal Dimasa people and other non-tribal indigenous people just to create trouble and disharmony in the district and gain narrow political mileage. These two bodies are playing a dangerous political game and applying �bullying tactics� on the non-Dimasa MACs to get their support forcibly in their favour, the release alleged. Except three, other non-Dimasa MACs were not willing to support them, it added.
The release claimed that the Dimasas were the first settlers in the district. The renaming of the district as Dima Hasao was done on the basis of the historical background of the Dimasas.
The DMA questioned as to why minority tribes like the Kukis, Hmars and Zeme Nagas should oppose the change of name of the district. It also maintained that the despite enjoying many facilities, these tribes were making allegations about deprivation.
The Indigenous People�s Forum and the Indigenous Students� Forum even alleged that the Dimasas were not hills people and that they came from the Brahmaputra valley. In response to it, the DMA claimed that the Dimasas have been living in the district for many centuries before the advent of Kukis, Hmars and Zeme Nagas.
The Dimasas living in the Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts have been recognised as Scheduled Tribes (Hills) under the Constitution. Regarding the population percentage, Dimasas constitute 55 per cent of the total tribal population according to 2001 Census and 43 per cent of the total population of the district.
The DMA release maintained that except the Zeme Nagas, the Hmars and the Kukis, other non-Dimasa tribes are not against the Dimasas. A number of non-tribal communities like the Assamese, Bengalis, Nepalis, Sikhs, Biharis and others are not against the Dimasa community.
Only a few sections are misguiding the people of the district and the government with a view to achieving their narrow political gains, the DMA release added.
