DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 20 (MExN): Several civil society organisations from Dimapur have submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, opposing the move of the North Frontier Railways (NFR) to shift the administrative headquarters of Dimapur Railway Station from Lumding to Tinsukia.
The memo was appended by the Naga Council Dimapur, Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Naga Students’ Union Dimapur, Gaon Bura Union Dimapur, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and Urban Colony Council Federation.
The memo stated that this move would have far reaching consequences on the social, educational and demographic structure of Dimapur in relation to other parts of the country. It reminded that Dimapur railway station is one of the most important railway stations in the entire region, and questioned why the NFR’s focus “is always on the state of Assam and why development and job opportunities are always done by NFR keeping in mind the benefit of Assam alone.”
It further pointed out the Union Railway Minister had recently declared Dimapur railway station as a model railway station and flagged off the Dimapur-Zubza rail project. It meanwhile argued that Dimapur deserves to be upgraded to a full fledged divisional headquarter.
Terming the NFR move as unfortunate, the memo further pointed out that Dimapur is centrally located between Dibrugarh and Guwahati.
Alleging that there is no democratic handling of affairs in the NFR, it reiterated the demand that Dimapur be upgraded to a divisional headquarter and cautioned that the organisations would resort to democratic protests till the Railway Ministry “provides full justice and adequate representation of our case is taken up.”
