From a Correspondent

DIPHU, Feb 2: Hill State Democratic Party (HSDP) organized a massive rally today at Diphu stadium ground and later submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong.

HSDP as part of their series of agitations for a separate state to be curved out of the State of Assam organized the rally.

More than 10,000 people took part in the massive procession organized by HSDP. People from different parts of Karbi Anglong joined the rally. Leaders like Chomang Kro, Kangjang Terang, Horen Sing Bey, Daniel Teron, Chandra Kt Terang, Robinson Kro and Longsodar Senar took the lead in the protest rally. Meanwhile, leaders of KSA, Dhiren Teron, President and Babusing Ronghang, General Secretary led the youth force in the rally.

The memorandum informed about the current discordant co–existence between the hill people and the plain people in Assam. They stated that the co–existence could not be carried on for long without risking adverse social, economic, and security ramifications. That is why hill states such as Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram had to be created with their respective territories carving out from the hill areas of the state. The remaining two hill areas, namely Mikir Hills and North Cachar Hills (now renamed Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao respectively) which were retained by the state leadership through manipulation and default have continued to suffer domination, neglect and unrest since the state’s incomplete and partial reorganization in 1969, the memorandum stated.

The forced existence of the two hills in Assam under constant social tension and conflict has continued to cause immense hardship and pain for the said hill people making them at grave social and security risk. The signing of MoU in 1995 and MoS in 2011 under the initiative of the Union Home Ministry have failed to resolve the existential concerns of the hill people, they pointed.