Against the backdrop of state government ordering re-organisation of Dimapur district following the creation of Chumoukedima district and up-gradation of Niuland sub-division to a full-fledged district, the Dimasa Public Organization, Nagaland (DOPN) has affirmed that Dimasa (Kachari) inhabited areas along with others should remain in Dimapur district.
In a press release, DPON president K Naben said that Dimasa organisations at an emergency meeting held on December 24, 2021 endorsed the press statement issued earlier by the civil societies of Dhansiripar sub-division under the banner of Sema-Dimasa Union, Dhansiripar sub-division and the subsequent joint representation to the government.
At the meeting, DPON said the house discussed and resolved to put forward the reasons as to why Dimasa villages along with others have to remain in Dimapur district.
The organisation said that merging of Dimasa villages of Dhansiripar sub-division with the Chumoukedima district and retaining Dimasa villages around Dimapur with Dimapur district would further marginalize the Dimasa into micro-minority.
It said Dimasas nurture a strong emotional and inseparable attachment with Dimapur because of their historical past.
DPON pointed out that during the creation of Nagaland, the visionary Naga leaders “most unambiguously” kept not only the Dimasa in one constituency but also kept other communities such as Mech, Garos and Gorkhas under 3 Dimapur-III assembly constituency so as to protect their rights and privileges.
DPON has, therefore, said dividing those communities and putting them in different districts would “ambiguously defeat the very concept of protecting the interest of the tribe envisioned by the founding leaders.”
Ever since the inception of the state, DPON said creation of districts, sub-divisions were invariably base on ethnicity. As such, it said Dimasa (Kachari) inhabited areas should not have been even thought of dividing into pieces.
The Dimasa organisations have, therefore, appealed to the state government to review the notifications and retain Dhansiripar sub-division in Dimapur district in the larger interest of the people.