Frontier Nagaland demand awakes Dimasas
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, January 29, 2011:
The demand for the creation of 'Frontier Nagaland', a new statehood demanded by the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) and the reiteration of the Dima Halam Daogah-Dilip Nunisa group (DHD-N) that Dimapur belongs to the Dimasas have been the household talks of Nagaland today.
Some ten years ago, Dilip Nunisa, the founder of DHD, a Dimasa militant group based in Assam had raised voice that the Nagaland commercial hub Dimapur belongs to the Dimasa community.
He said the very name Dimapur was coined after the Dimasas.
He also cited evidences to drive home his point by naming places of ancient ruins in Dimapur proving that the present Nagaland commercial hub was the capital of the Dimasas.
On Thursday, Dilip Nunisa said, "Dimapur is still in our demand".
DHD is demanding a separate Dimasa state by integrating the Dimasa inhabited areas of Assam and Nagaland.
The DHD had entered into a ceasefire pact with New Delhi in the year 2003. Meanwhile, while the demand for 'Frontier Nagaland' continues, the Congress party in Nagaland had accused the Neiphiu Rio led government of not dealing the issue with utmost responsibility.
The Congress party alleged that the chief minister had not taken into confidennce matter with his cabinet or legislators.
Mentionably, Nagas in four Nagaland districts had carried out massive public rallies demanding the creation of a new state christened as 'Frontier Nagaland' by bifurcating Nagaland.
The rallies were held simultaneously in the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng on January 7.The rallies were organised by Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO).
The ENPO, which is the apex organization of six Naga tribes including Konyak, Khiamniungan, Chang, Yimchunger, Sangtam and Phom inhabiting the four districts, had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister urging him to realize the demand.
"Our demand for the creation of Frontier Nagaland is based on historical facts.
This is something like going back to the earlier arrangement when the entire area was under the erstwhile Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA," ENPO general secretary Toshi Wungpung had said.
Prior to Nagaland's attainment of statehood in 1963, the entire area was under the Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA.
Mon, Kiphire and Longleng districts were carved out of Tuensang post-statehood.
"For decades, gross injustice has been done to the people of these four districts by the successive governments, both in the state and at the centre," Wungmung had also alleged.
"Of the 11 districts in Nagaland, these four backward districts have almost half of the state's total population.
But despite that, they continue to remain extremely under-developed," the ENPO general secretary said.
He added that only three per cent of the total population of the four districts was into government jobs.
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