Guwahati, Aug. 12 : The Centre has convened a meeting of Assam’s chief secretary and director-general of police to review the situation in North Cachar Hills and its adjoining districts in Delhi next week.
The meeting, convened by Union cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar on August 20, assumes significance as it comes in the wake of Dispur’s efforts to convince the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) to join the peace process by adhering to the new ground rules of surrendering weapons before initiating talks.
Sources indicated that Dispur would press for at least 20 additional companies to tone up security agencies in NC Hills. It will also ask the Centre to check Naga militants from fanning trouble between the Dimasas and non-Dimasas and set up border outposts in vulnerable areas of the district bordering Assam’s Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts and the state of Nagaland. Of the 151 paramilitary companies in the state, 59 are in NC Hills.
The sources also said the meeting would discuss the charter of demands placed by the DHD (J) while offering unilateral ceasefire. “The meeting will discuss how much can be conceded if the DHD (J) agrees to the revised guidelines,” one of them said.
That Dispur has taken the meeting seriously is evident from the fact-finding trip undertaken by chief secretary P.C. Sharma and new DGP Shankar Barua to the district’s Maibong subdivision on Friday.
The duo are said to have convinced the DHD’s Nunisa group to adhere to the new ceasefire guidelines of depositing arms, besides sounding out the rival faction DHD (J) on following suit.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday revealed that Dispur was in touch with the Jewel faction.
Sources said the Prime Minister’s Office and the ministry of home affairs have been closely monitoring the situation in North Cachar Hills, particularly after a spate of violence since 2008 that led to inordinate delays in getting two critical national projects — gauge conversion and East West Corridor — completed.
However, things have changed to a great extent since the NC Hills Autonomous Council was suspended on charges of gross financial anomalies, including alleged diversion of funds to militant coffers.
“Violence has come down and train services have resumed. Things are improving. The meeting could show the way forward as there are talks about DHD (J) joining the peace process now that the Nunisa faction has taken the first step of depositing arms,” a source said.
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