DPC seeks greater unity and recognition of Dimasa Kachari identity

 Haflong, September 17: The Dimasa Peoples Council (DPC), Assam Central Committee, has called for greater social, constitutional, economic and political unity among the Dimasa Kachari community, asserting that the community should be recognised as a single collective identity.

In a statement, DPC Assam Central Committee president Dilip Nunisa said the Dimasa Kachari community became scattered across different districts of Assam and Nagaland following the decline of the erstwhile Dimasa Kachari kingdom and subsequent administrative changes after Independence.

Nunisa said members of the community are known by different names in different regions, including Barman, Hojai, Kachari and Dimasa Kachari. According to him, such divisions have affected the community's ability to remain socially and politically united.

He further claimed that Dimasa Kacharis living in the Brahmaputra Valley, Barak Valley, Nagaland and the hill districts have been identified under different names and administrative classifications. He expressed concern over what he described as the gradual assimilation of Dimasa Kacharis with other communities and the consequent decline of their demographic presence in several areas.

The DPC president said the younger generation of Dimasa Kacharis has been working towards reviving the community's social identity, creating awareness and protecting its cultural and historical existence.

He also said the DPC Assam Central Committee, with the cooperation of its district committees, has been urging the Government of Assam and the Government of India to take appropriate measures for the preservation and protection of the Dimasa Kachari community.

Emphasising the historical legacy of the community, Nunisa said the ancient geographical areas of the erstwhile Kachari kingdom may have been divided into different administrative districts of Assam and Nagaland, but its history and civilisation cannot be erased.

“We are not Barman, Hojai or Kachari but Dimasa Kachari as a whole,” Nunisa said, calling upon members of the community to remain united and work collectively to address their social and political challenges.

He expressed hope that the community would overcome its present difficulties through unity and continued efforts to preserve its identity and heritage.