‘Zeme Nagas were the first foot printer’

Dimapur, July 23 (MExN): Against the backdrop of the continuing violence in the NC Hills between the Dimasas and the Zeme Nagas, the Naga Hills People Convention today asserted that the Zeme Naga people would never give up or stop until and unless the demand for Dima Hasau Raji (Dimasa kingdom) is withdrawn “from the governor which was recently forwarded with their Charter Points by the Autonomous District Council”. 

Identifying the demand for Dima Hasau Raji (Dimasa kingdom) by the Dimasas as the focal point of contention, the Convener of the NHPC, Agay Zeme in a press release asserted that the Zeme Naga people were the first “foot printer” in the “Naga Hills” and that the Zeme Naga people “is the only right indigenous people”. It stated that in the year 1852 the British Crown established the Naga Hills Capital in Asalu and later in 1952, the nomenclature “Naga Hills” was changed to NC Hills. However, recently, the Dimasas, “with the district Council to rename the existing NC Hills to Dima Hasau Raji (Dimasa kingdom) and submitted their four charter points to the Governor”. In protest against this move the “Ethnic Clash erupted between the Zeme Nagas and the Dimasas (Cachari), the release stated.

In this connection the Naga Hills People Convention alleged that in the present conflict, the Dimasas are “fully backed by the Indian Armed forces, DHD and the Autonomous District Council. Whereas, the Naga Hills is been defended by Zeliangrong Naga alone with a few Volunteers”. However, it asserted that “the Zeme (Zeliangrong) Naga people would never give up or stop until and unless Dima Hasau Raji is withdrawn from the Governor which was recently forwarded with their charter points by the Autonomous District Council”.