Our Correspondent
Diphu, Dec.10 (EMN): The convenor of the Hill State Democratic Council (HSDC) and former minister Holiram Terang has declared that the first general conference of the council must decide to have the organisation as a political party to ‘bring back regionalism’ and carry forward the statehood movement in the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
Terang was addressing said conference in his inaugural speech at the Joysing Doloi auditorium on Sun. Dec. 10.
The programme is a two-day event to conclude tomorrow. The inaugural function and delegate sessions was held inside the ‘Semson Sing Ingti Hall’ as they named the hall for the programme.
It may be mentioned here that the question of having the HSDC as a regional registered political party with the Election Commission of India brought out differences among the group’s leaders. The Left leaders of the HSDC led by Dr. Jayanta Rongpi, Robi Kr. Phangcho and others were not in favour of it. The Right wing leaders of the HSDC led by Chomang Kro, Holiram Terang, Jotson Bey and others wanted it.
With such differences among the leaders of the party, the Left faction convened the conference scheduled for Dec. 7. The Right faction convened the HSDC’s general conference at Joysing Doloi.
Holiram Terang went on to say: “We are here in this conference for the cause of safeguarding the territory, language, culture and identity of the indigenous tribes of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. We are here to discuss to carry on the statehood movement for safeguarding the political rights of the hill tribes like Karbi, Dimasa, Tiwa, Rengma etc.”
Terang explained that the RSS and the Sangh Parivar were ‘always at work to have dominance over the language and culture of the hill tribes by popularising Hindi language among them.’ Through the backing of corporate houses, the RSS and the Sangh Parivar ‘wanted to have control over land and resources of the hill people,’ it was asserted during the gathering.
‘They are doing this by taking into their favour, of certain political leaders and political parties. Such dominance from outside should be fought back to retain the land, resources, culture and language of the tribes,’ Terang declared. He said: “From this conference we need to have a political party under the name of HSDC. We are regularly taking up agitation programmes on statehood movement, but due to absence of registered political party our voice are not heard. We don’t have our own MACs, MLAs and MP and due to this absence in us, our efforts have become in vain.”
The conference saw the participation of new faces from other fields. There were advocates like Robinson Hanse, Jameson Bhundu, Bharat Engti, Bikram Teron and Biswajit Enghi participating in the conference as special invitees. Dr. Clament Singnar and Dr. Drubo Hojai, retired director of Health & Services, of the government of Assam, also were among the other special invitees attending the conference.
Youth leader Premson Bey who, along with 25 colleagues, is taking part in the conference said: ‘It is only regionalism that can safeguard the land, language, culture and identity of the tribes of respective region.’ Here it is only through the HSDC that the movement can strengthen regionalism in safeguarding the land and territory of Karbi Anglong, the gathering was told. The leaders of the older generation are ageing and the present generation of youths should take the forefront, Bey said.
A ‘procession’ is also scheduled to be conducted soon, party sources informed.
