Maibang is a small town of Dima Hasao district in the Indian state of Assam. The town is located at the bank of Mahur River. On the event of Republic Day, where the entire country was celebrating India’s implementing force into the constitution, in Assam it was a different scenario by an indistinct curfew at Maibong in Dima Hasao, along with three low-intensity blasts in Tinsukia district. The confined inhabitants have to lock up to their own homes. For the first time, no one in Dima Hasao district participated in the Republic Day celebrations on Friday.
The whole nasty incident took place at Maibong. At least two people died and 10 others were wounded allegedly in the police firing throughout a protest in opposition to the proposed enclosure of Dima Hasao district in Greater Nagalim. It happened when police openly fired to separate a crowd who blocked the Maibong railway station on Thursday. Leaving close to around 3,000 passengers of Guwahati-bound Silchar – Guwahati passenger train, the train was trapped at the station. Though the police at first routed to ‘lathi’ charge and firing of tear gas. However, the situation gone brutal as the protesters bombarded stones and they attacked the railway station. Some policemen and a higher district officer were also hurt and two vehicles of the district management had been damaged by the protesters belonging to three Dimasa organisations—‘Jdike Naiso Hosom’, ‘the Dimasa Students’ Union’ and the ‘Dimasa Mothers’ Association’.
The protesters had called a 12-hour ‘Dima Hasao Bandh’ in response to a media information which said that a RSS leader proposed a plan solution for the Nagaland peace practice. In the plan it is said that the parts of Dima Hasao would go to the greater Nagalim demanded by National Socialist Council of Nagaland before the centre during the talks. A number of social organisations of the district had been holding several protests, rallies after the rumours that a part of the Dima Hasao district will have satellite council for Naga community.
Though, the situation is under control now with the tight security arrangements. The protesters said that the protest was peaceable but the circumstances all of a sudden took a violent turn right away after Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police arrived in the spot and interfered where they lost two young lives.
Not only media, even administration is acting apathetic towards the North Eastern region of India apart from number of ‘initiatives’ for the betterment of North East. People hardly know about this region. It is true that the Northeast has simply 20+ members in Parliament. Northeast India is a division of the country where there are at least 200 ethnic minority groups can be found. The region has long been fighting with terrorism. Several incidents happen there but due to predisposed things people do not get to know what is happening in there. Most of the Indian media is paid and it shows only those news which are based on political concentration and political attention. The government’s aim is only to shape government there for their benefit, not for the development of the North East India.
By: Bindita Sinha