Union Home Secretary GK Pillai was in Guwahati today and met Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to discuss the prevailing situation in trouble-torn North Cachar Hills. The meeting comes amidst indications that the notorious Black Widow faction of Dimasa rebel group Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) might lay down arms to make way for negotiations with New Delhi.
What transpired at the meeting between GK Pillai and Tarun Gogoi was not known immediately but reports said that the Union Home Secretary has noted in detail the NC Hills situation. The meeting was attended by top civil and police officials, but a source said the meeting primarily discussed the issue of Black Widow’s offer of ceasefire.
Recently, the Dimasa militant outfit in a letter to the Assam chief minister, had expressed desire to lay down arms in the interest of a ceasefire with the Centre. The letter also made mention of the outfit’s eight-point charter of demands. Soon after his arrival here on Thursday, the Union Home Secretary left for NC Hills but had to return midway due to inclement weather. Later, briefly talking to media persons at Raj Bhavan, Pillai said he had come to Assam to ‘understand’ the prevailing situation.
“I will come again in September and visit the refugee camps (in NC Hills) and meet the various communities living there,” the Union Home Secretary said.
Making an oblique reference to the infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals and the cross-border movement of insurgents, he called for strengthening security along the Indo-Bangla border.
Prior to his departure for New Delhi on Friday, the Union Home Secretary would attend a meeting of the Unified Command and then interact with the leaders of various tribal communities of NC Hills at Raj Bhavan. It may be mentioned that over sixty lives have been lost in the ethnic frenzy between the Dimasa and the Zeme Naga in the NC Hills in the past four months. Gogoi blamed the DHD Black Widow and Naga insurgent group NSCN for the unrest.