Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The All Dimasa Students Union pushed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for major policy changes. In a September 22 memorandum, the group outlined eight demands regarding constitutional status and land rights. They want one label for all. The union seeks a constitutional amendment to group the Dimasa Kachari community under a single identity across India.
Currently, the community goes by various names based on location. They are Dimasa Kachari in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong, Barman Kachari in Barak Valley, Hojai Kachari in Nagaon and Hojai districts, and simply Kachari in Nagaland. The group faces land insecurity in the Bordolong Lankha Tribal Belt. Records show 10,840 Dimasa Kachari residents living alongside 15,505 non-tribal residents. Chitha records indicate 2,107 non-tribal people hold land rights in this protected zone.
The union demands an immediate stop to land transfers to non-protected classes. They want an investigation into illegal land deals and the removal of encroachments. Other priorities include implementing Clause 2.2(A) of the DNLA Accord and creating a Dimasa Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council for those living outside Sixth Schedule areas. They also flagged the Khaspur Rajbari in Barak Valley, where a school building sits inside the protected heritage site.
Infrastructure is a top concern. The union pushed for an RCC bridge linking Dhansiri, Assam, with Dhansiripar, Nagaland. They also want a two-lane road connecting Dhansiri to Dimakro. These projects aim to boost access to health and education. The union also asked Sarma to talk to Nagaland officials about exempting their people from the Inner Line Permit requirement. They argued the permit system hurts families and ties in the ancestral homeland of Dimapur. The group finished by asking for land in Guwahati to build a multipurpose student hostel and community hall. The ADSU stated, "a meeting with an ADSU delegation could help address the issues."
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