GUWAHATI, May 28 ? Union Ministry of Home Affairs will resume dialogue of autonomous State issue with leaders of Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and its allies from the two hill districts of the State. As per the schedule, Union Home Ministry officials team led by Surendra Kumar, Joint Secretary (NE), will hold talks with leaders of different organisations spearheading autonomous state movement in New Delhi on May 31 next. A 14-member delegation comprising the leaders of Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Karbi Students? Association (KSA), Dimasa Students? Union (DSU) Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) and Dimasa Women?s Society (DWS) will take part in the discussion with the MHA officials.
It will be the first dialogue on autonomous State issue between Government of India representatives and leaders of autonomous State movement from Karbi Anglong and N C Hills districts since April, 1995 when an MoU was signed. The resumption of dialogue at the initiative of the Union Home Ministry has raised hopes in the rank and file of political and non-political groups which have been continuing with their 16-year-old movement for an autonomous state. The prominent leaders of the autonomous state movement who are participating in the discussion with MHA officials on May 31 included Holiram Terang, Chomang Kro, Dharamsing Teron, Seema Ronghangpi, Helen Terangpi, Prakanta Warisa, Nibita Langthasa.
The director (NE) of the MHA, A K Goyal vide letter No 11012/10/2002-NE-IV informed the autonomous state movement leaders about the dialogue scheduled for May 31 next. The ASDC, KSA and KNCA in a joint convention held in Diphu on May 18, 19 and 20 last pledged to revive the ?militant mass upsurge? similar to the 1986-89 period to press for their demand for the autonomous state. It is pertinent to mention that in the year 1989 ASDC-led movement for autonomous state witnessed a significant deviation of character from militant mass upsurge to a parliamentary form struggle with ASDC leaders capturing power in both Karbi Anglong and N C Hills district councils.
However, the recent joint convention of the ASDC, KSA and KNCA was unanimous in their opinion that the movement no longer could depend only on the parliamentary struggle and therefore, decided to shift back to the tested method of ?militant mass upsurge? to facilitate mass participation in the struggle once again.