SILCHAR : Assam police DIG (southern Assam range) Vinod Kumar on Monday said those involved in the killing of a villager and setting several houses ablaze in Dima Hasao district over past one week were "outsiders". However, a total of ten persons, all belonging to non-Dimasa tribal communities, have been detained by police in connection with the incidents.
Violence broke out in the district on Sunday as suspected tribal militants torched 19 houses of Dimasas and sprayed bullets targeting fleeing villagers, killing one person and injuring three others.
Sources from Dima Hasao headquarter town of Haflong said there were no reports of any untoward incident from any part of the hill district over the past 24 hours. Of the ten persons detained, seven were picked up by police on Sunday night.
"The miscreants involved in the incidents are from outside the Dima Hasao area. They have infiltrated from neighbouring states or districts to vitiate the situation here. The area has been peaceful so far after the surrender of major militant groups over the years", said DIG Vinod Kumar, who has been camping in Haflong to monitor the ongoing operation against miscreants.
While Kumar abstained from naming any insurgent group of behind the incidents, he said, "The violence was the handiwork of outsiders who are against return of peace and harmony in Dima Hasao".
He added that police and security forces were on high alert to ensure that such incidents were not repeated in the district. The DIG said four additional companies of Assam police have been deployed in the district.
Meanwhile, those detained by police in connection with the incident on Sunday night have been identified as Lungtaheung Jeme, 28, Ramngenaungbe Jame, 26, Teijuakambe Jeme, 46, Gaitung Jeme, 46, Bobuing Jeme, 36, Paujuteulungbe Jeme, 28 and Paudotuing Jeme, 18. All of them are being interrogated by in custody of Haflong police station.
The NC Hills Autonomous Council in a meeting on Sunday constituted a peace committee to help peace return to the troubled district. The meeting, convened by chief executive member Kalijoy Sanging, was attended by members of all the apex bodies of the major tribal communities in the district. During the day, an all party meeting was held in Haflong convened by DC Dilip Kumar Barthakur to discus the situation.
Over past week, in a fresh ethnic violence, two persons, including DHD (J) leader James Dimasa were killed and three others were injured, while 27 huts belonging to Dimasas were burnt down. HTF, a non-Dimsa tribal militant outfit claimed responsibility for the incidents. The outfit has been opposing government's action to change the nomenclature of erstwhile North Cachar Hill district to Dima Hasao and a recent move to constitute the Dima Hasao Territorial Council in place of the present autonomous council.
~TNN(ToI)
