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By Jayant
In recent mass-killing in Karbi Anglong and N.C. Hills, more than 100 innocent people from Dimasa and Karbi communities were killed, 40 villages of both the communities comprising one thousand houses were burnt down and 52 thousand people were forced to take shelter in 58 relief camps, (48 in Karbi Anglong and 10 in N.C. Hills), now living a destitute'slife.
A large gap of divide between the two communities, who are blood brothers, have been caused. The Karbis are asking what are we fighting for amongst us? The Dimasas are also asking the same question, why are Dimasas and Karbis are killing each other? They narrate that Dimasas and Karbis are soul brothers who have been living together for centuries. Their aspiration and culture are same, their food habits, lifestyle and place of living are same. Their heritage and ancestry are same; their perception of life and philosophy are same. They belong to same human stock. And their political aspiration is also same. Dimasas and Karbis-both fought together for autonomous district council which they got and both were happy to share the political power and rule the people collectively. Both the communities-Dimasas and Karbis-are Hindu and both have unflinching allegiance to India. They are sandwiched between Nagaland and Meghalaya, Christian-dominated states where Christian missionaries have open pasture to graze the way they like.
Misibailam incident
Misibailam (Misi-tiger; bailam-crossing point) is a Dimasa village situated on the bank of Dhansiri river in Karbi Anglong district. This village is surrounded by Manglamukh (North), Beisumpuikam (South), Jalukie Town and Jalukie Zandi (East) and in West, there is a thick reserve forest stretching up to Lumding and Thaimadodisa village which falls in N.C. Hills. Opposite to Misibailam village on the other bank of Dhansiri river, the Hebron Camp of NSCN(IM) is situated. Dhansiri river flows in between the Misibailam village of Dimasas and Hebron Camp of NSCN(IM) and the distance in between is hardly two kilometers. In this village, six Naga persons, believed to be the NSCN(IM)'scadre, had forcefully occupied an area measuring 2,500 acres. They had established Aturkimi village (A=Angami, T=Tangkhul, R=Rengma, K=Karbi, M=Mao), wherein several bunkers and fortifications were built to use at the time of gun-fight. The villagers objected but failed. Lastly, the jawans of Assam battalion accompanied with Dipankar Das, Executive Magistrate from Diphu, arrived to evict the encroachment in June 2004 and there was a fierce fight between Assam battalion and NSCN(IM). DHD(D) cadres reportedly helped in eviction. As a result, NSCN(IM) retreated and left the Misibailam village but in the exchange of fire the Executive Magistrate, Dipankar Das was hit by a fatal bullet. He died.
This irked NSCN(IM) and the enmity between DHD(D) and NSCN(IM) increased. Further DHD(D)-designated camp at Dhansiri is a stumbling block because of which NSCN(IM) is not able to collect taxes from Dimasa villages of Dhansiri area. The NSCN(IM), therefore, wants to remove DHD(D)-designated camp at Dhansiri. DHD(D) was initially trained in NSCN(IM) camps but NSCN(IM) became angry on DHD(D) when it refused to pay taxes to NSCN(IM) and toe Muivah'slines. NSCN(IM) tried to teach a lesson to DHD(D) by employing Hmar militants to attack Dimasa villages wherein nearly a 100 Dimasas were killed and several villages were burnt in 2003.
Kuki-Karbi clash
Karbi Anglong is very rich in forest produce, crude oil and ginger production. Kukis control the ginger business. They have market for ginger business in Manipur. To check the influx of Kukis and prevent the encroachment by them, UPDS took some action, which resulted into Kuki-Karbi clash. Taking the advantage of fluid and volatile situation and tense relation between Karbis and Kukis, three Muslims were spotted while burning a Karbi house in Manja. The villagers chased them and one Muslim out of the three was caught while the other two managed to escape in the jungle taking the advantage of darkness of night. Had the Muslims not captured, it would have been deemed that Kukis were behind burning of the Karbi house and in retaliation some Kuki house would have been burnt resulting into an ethnic clash as it has become this time between Dimasas and Karbis because the killers of three Dimasa auto-drivers on 26.09.2005 were not captured and their identity is not disclosed.
Attack on Hindi-speaking people
There is a sizeable number of Hindi-speaking people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh living in Karbi Anglong, doing agriculture and petty business. They were also attacked by DHD in N.C. Hills and UPDS in Karbi Anglong. In the years 2003 and 2004, four houses of Biharis were burnt in Lalmati, Cherapathar and Matiknola villages in west Karbi Anglong and 21 Biharis were killed. In the last four years, Hindi-speaking villagers were attacked by DHD in the N.C. Hills villages, namely Harmodisa, Wacharingkha, Digandu, Nayapur, Doyangbara. In there clashes, 130 houses of Biharis were burnt and nine Biharis were murdered.
Muslim influx
After acquiring political dominance in Assam and successfully pushing a sizeable number in Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya-the states encircling Karbi Anglong-Muslims are trying their level best to encroach upon Karbi Anglong and N.C. Hills. These Muslims are found ever ready to pay even exaggerately high price for the cultivable lands. They are settling in reserve forest areas. Wherever they are, a mosque and a madrasas are must for them which are considered nursery of Muslim militants. There is an abnormal rise of 90,000 persons in overall population of Karbi Anglong. This has caused abnormal rise of 18,000 voters in this district which is threatening the existence of Karbi people.
Establishment of Christian belt
NSCN(IM) has an eye on Karbi Anglong and most parts of it are included in Greater Nagaland. NSCN(IM) has include in Greater Nagaland Diphu subdivision including Dabaka, Manja, Bakulia, Howraghat. Dergaon, Dakmoka and Bokajan subdivision including Bokajan, Sorupathar, Balipathar, Silonijan and Golaghat subdivision and Merapani subdivision. Church and NSCN(IM) have planned to carve out a Christian belt which includes Changlong and Tirup districts of Arunachal Pradesh, whole of Nagaland, half of Manipur, N.C. Hills, Karbi Anglong, portions of Nagaon which link Meghalaya-another Christian-dominated states. Karbi Anglong-the Hindu zone-is a tough stumbling block in carving out the proposed Christian belt. This is the reason that Karbi Anglong has become the prime target for NSCN(IM) and Church of Nagaland.
War of supremacy between DHD(D) and DHD(J)
DHD(D) is headed by Dilip Nunisa and DHD(J) is headed by Jewel Garlosa. Both were together at the time of formation of Dima Halom Daoga (DHD). DHD'spolitical demand is to create a separate Dima Raji (Dimasa homeland). Dima Raji includes Dimapur along with surrounding Dimasa villages. Dimapur hosts Raj Bari-the remains of Dimasa King'spalace-which is held with high honour by Dimasa community. NSCN(IM) says Dimapur is in Nagaland and should not be included into Dima Raji. Meanwhile, the differences between Dilip Nunisa and Jewel Garlosa cropped up and the latter defected from the parent body and formed DHD(J) with ?Black Widow? as its armed wing. Thus, the war of supremacy between DHD(D) and DHD(J) began. And the enmity between Dilip and Jewel surfaced.
Formation of Black Widow-The armed wing of DHD(J)
In 2003, the armed militants of Hmar People'sConvention (HPC) attacked several Dimasa villages and killed over 100 people and burnt down several Dimasa villages in N.C. Hills. In Shekharsom Dimasa village, Hmar militants killed 32 Dimasa villagers including women. In this bloodbath, 17 women were widowed. This caused wrath amongst Dimasa youths of N.C. Hills. They approached Dilip Nunisa of DHD(D) and offered to sacrifice their lives for retaliatory action. Dilip did not agree to this proposal since DHD had entered in ceasefire agreement with GoI. This angered Jewel Gorlosa. He defected from parent body and formed DHD (Jewel) with 80 Dimasa youths from N.C. Hills. He named his militant wing as ?Black Widow? with black uniform. He went to Myanmar for armed training. While returning Jewel Gorlosa had to face a tough repulsion from DHD(D). Dilip Nunisa did not allow Jewel Gorlosa to penetrate in their area of operation in N.C. Hills and adjacent Dimasa areas in Karbi Anglong. Therefore, DHD(J) established a camp in Charchim near Kapili river. DHH(D) has a designated camp at Panimore on the other side of Kapili river. Charchim and Jirikindin areas are considered strong base and area of operation of DHD(J) and UPDS.
Nexus between DHD(J), UPDS, NSCN(IM) and Church
With a view to defeating DHD(D) of Dilip Nunisa, Jewel Gorlosa connived with UPDS, which needs the help of DHD(J) to expel Dimasas from Dimasa villages in Karbi Anglong for establishing separate autonomous state exclusively for Karbis as per UPDS'sdeclaration. This side, NSCN(IM) needs the help of DHD(J) and UPDS to set score with DHD(D), to weaken Dimasa and Karbi communities, encroach and forcefully occupy the boundary areas of Karbi Anglong, N.C. Hills and Nagaon and finally declare it a part of Greater Nagaland and capture the forest wealth, fertile land and underground crude oil in Misibailam zone. Church is helping all these divisive forces. Christian missionaries have not been able to convert Dimasas and Karbis even after their large investment in terms of man, money and time. Disturbed situation, social upheaval and ethnic clashes provide best opportunity to church for large-scale mass conversion with comparatively less effort and minimum investment. This is the reason that Church is helping all these divisive forces by preparing fertile ground for insurgency. This is the reason that a Kali mandir at Manja and Shiv mandirs in Singh Rongpi (Borjan) and Kheroni have been burnt down and more than 50 cows were shot dead but no where any Church was harmed during all these turbulent days. In fact, Karbi Christians were taking lead in burning Dimasa villages. It is interesting to note that several Dimasa youths were forced at gun-point by DHD(J) to burn their own Dimasa villages and several Karbi youths were compelled at gun-point to burn their own Karbi villages so that DHD(J) and UPDS could blame their rival and cause an ethnic clash. Fortunately, their conspiracy was foiled.
Charchim massacre on October 17, 2005; before and after incidents
For creating enmity between Dimasas and Karbis, three Dimasa auto-drivers were killed by unknown persons whose identity is still unknown. This was followed by killing of five Karbis of a family on October 2 and three Karbis of three different villages on October 3. Again, several Karbis were killed and houses burnt on October 8 and 9 whose identity is not yet known. But they were in black uniform which is the dress of Black Widow of DHD(J). On October 17, 2005, 24 Karbi passengers of two buses coming from Jirikingdim-one destined for Diphu and the other for Hamren-were killed by the armed men reportedly in black uniform suspected to be the cadres of Black Widow. One of the two ill-fated buses was burnt down and fleeing passengers were chased in the jungles. These blood-thirsty militants then rushed to Charchim village and killed nine innocent villagers and burnt down all the Karbi houses. After this, they rushed to nearby Precek village and killed another seven Karbis and burnt down their houses. Thus, total 40 Karbis including women were murdered in the killing-a spree which was enacted at 6.30 am on that fateful day and lasted till late afternoon without any fear of the civil administration. Police arrived only in the late evening when the death dance of militants was over.
When the whole of north-east region was shaken from inside by the ghastly murder of 40 Karbis at Charchim village on October 17, 2005, a group of Karbi militants attacked Hojaipur Dimasa village on October 19, 2005, but nine Karbi attackers were killed in an ambush staged by DHD(D). Five of them were identified as the cadres of UPDS and surprisingly one slained militant was a Dimasa identified as the cadre of DHD(J) faction. The other three slained persons were Karbi students.
Dimapur is the hub of UPDS and DHD(J) both the militant groups-United People'sDemocratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dima Halom Daoga (Jewel Garlosa group) are operating from Dimapur naturally with the blessing of NSCN(IM).
In the light of facts stated above, who is gainer? Should the warring brothers- Dimasas and Karbis-not introspect and make an assessment of their past deeds to find out profit and loss caused due to their infight? It is crystal clear that both the communities are at great loss. The gainer is ?third force?.
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