With signing of the proposed Karbi Accord expected soon, the Rengma Naga People’s Council (RNPC) has demanded for “creation of Rengma Hills Autonomous District bifurcating from Karbi Anglong” district.
The RNPC has submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma putting forth its demand of creation of an Autonomous District for the “Rengmas and non-Karbis”.
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The RNPC alleged that the Government’s announcement of signing of proposed Karbi Accord has “pushed the Rengmas into the dark side of democracy which the government fails to see”.
“…the govt has recently announced to sign accord with the Karbi militants with bigger packages without taking into account the legitimate rights of the sons of the soil or the Rengmas and other communities,” the RNPC stated in its memorandum to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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Stating that “justice delayed is justice denied”, the RNPC said that “Rengma Nagas have been submitting memoranda to the govt for many years for creation of autonomous district for Rengmas and non – Karbis. However, it has been unfortunate that the matter has been prolong delayed till date”.
The RNPC, in the memorandum, has mentioned two of their main demands – immediate creation of Rengma Hills Autonomous District with Headquarters at Phentecho by upgrading the existing Bokajan Sub-division and creation of an MLA seat reserved for the Rengmas.
Notably, the NSCN-IM, on Monday, had raised objection to the proposed signing of the Karbi Accord between the Centre, the Assam Government and six surrendered Karbi rebel outfits.
The NSCN-IM in a statement stated that it would not accept “any agreement that victimize the Rengma Nagas”.
“NSCN makes it loud and clear that any agreement that victimize the Rengma Nagas would not be acceptable to the Nagas in general and to the NSCN in particular,” the NSCN-IM stated in its communique.
Stating that Rengma Nagas are the original inhabitants of Karbi Anglong (erstwhile Rengma Hills), the NSCN-IM said that it “would not allow the Rengma Nagas to be driven to the edge without considering their historical factual status”.
“…no authority should go far enough to override the interests of the Rengma Nagas who are the legitimate owner of the land under the questionable proposition,” the NSCN-IM stated.
Adding that Rengma issue in Assam is an important agenda in the ongoing peace talks with the Government of India, the NSCN-IM said that “it would not accept alienation of Nagas’ ancestral land which is tantamount to undermining the spirit of the Indo-Naga political talks”.
The NSCN-IM further claimed that the Centre and the Assam Government is merely trying to ‘appease’ the six surrendered Karbi rebel outfits by signing the peace pact.
Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the Karbi Accord in most likelihood would be signed this week.