Imphal, April 16 2009: The refugees of Zemei community who fled from Assam's North Cachar Hills have contended that the Dimasas' rebel group, which started killing innocent Zemeis since three months back, is responsible for the fleeing of the Zemei community from Assam and rendering them homeless.

The Jewel Garlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), a militant organisation of the Dimasas demanding homeland for the Dimasas in Assam, has been reportedly threatening the Zemei community of NC Hills, Assam to leave their place claiming that the land they inhabit does not belong to them.

The Zemeis, it may be mentioned, have reportedly registered strong opposition over the move of the Dimasas to retain 80 percent of jobs in the region and the stir to regulate the Inner Line Permit system to non-Dimasa tribals of the region.

These had prompted the DHD to turn their guns against the Zemeis.

Fearing more backlashes from the militant group and incapacitated in the face of armed militants, the Zemeis of Assam have fled the state and they are now settling in refugee camps at Tousem sub divisional headquarters in Tamenglong district.

Interacting with Hueiyen Lanpao, Ramsao Sung, a refugee camping now at Tousem said that the DHD (Jewel) has been intimidating the Zemei community saying that they were not the native settlers of the land and they must pay for refusing to conform to the policy formulated by the outfit.

"It was in February last that the militant group resorted to killing innocent Zemeis," Sung recollects.

The manner in which the militants killed the Zemeis was so atrocious and nightmarish.

They (the outfit) made the Zemeis to fulfill their demands like supplying rations, preparing food for them and later they were shot death heartlessly, Sung recounts.

He said that at least 22 Zemeis have been killed so far by the militant group.

The slain civilians were mostly of the age groups between 25 and 45, he said.

"The police have been informed on every occasion of the killings.

Sadly, they didn't turned up in time to save the helpless lives and they usually turned up after the incidents," Sung laments.

Around 15, 000 Zemeis have settled in different parts of Assam mostly in places like Tongjei, Mohor, Laisong and Boreneo.

Fearing more bloodshed, the people have last month approached the DC office of Dispur district to seek protection of their lives by providing them adequate security against the backdrop of the killings, according to the Zemei expatriate.

However, the DC had straight way turned down the plea of the Zemeis by saying that he won't be able to provide security.

At the same time, the DHD cadres have also continued to kill the Zemeis at their will, Sung said.

Caught within the quandaries, the Zemei community of Assam chose to seek asylum to their Zeliangrong brethrens in Manipur, the refugees recount their plights.

Contrasting the reported claim of the Dimasas, Majabung Gangmei, the Secretary of the Zeliangrong Students' Union, Manipur said that NC Hills is the foremost capital of the Naga Kingdom.

The Cacharis, better known as the Dimasas, were living at the mercy of the Zemeis since time immemorial.

He said that the Dimasas have been turning their muzzles against their fellow tribal communities now when they become more populous than other tribal communities around them.

It may be pertinent to mention here that a communal clash between the Hmars and the Dimasas had also occurred some years back claiming several lives and uprooting several villages in the region.

Not only changing the name of the Hill range to Dima Hajao Raji, the DHD had undertook to make it mandatory for the other tribal settlers in the range to obtain the inner line permit, and reservation of 80 percent jobs in the area exclusively to the Dimasa tribals, Majabung said.

The Zemeis had strongly resisted the move of the Dimasas in these matters.

The repercussion was obvious: the Zemeis were asked to leave Assam with intimidation and a severe threat which was later followed by shedding the bloods of the Zemeis and displacing them, Gangmei said.

The ZSUM secretary is also annoyed over the inactivity of the Assam government for its alleged failure to return normalcy even after the loss of more than twenty lives.

He alleged that the Assam Government has pretended of not knowing the development and doing nothing to bring back normalcy in the region.

They are vulnerable to several diseases if they continue to live in the relief camps like this.

The Zeliangrong students' leader also draws the attention of the concerned authorities to overcome the situation.

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