Days after it was alleged for killing five truck drivers/helpers, Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), a militant group in Assam's Dima Hasao district declared "unilateral ceasefire" for "creating an atmosphere for peace talks" with the government.
Mungshri Ringsmai Dimasa, the publicity secretary of the outfit, issued a statement on September 7, stating that the "unilateral ceasefire" was declared as a "goodwill gesture" and as a "positive response" to the call for peace by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The letter was made public by Assam police headquarters in Guwahati on Thursday.
The ceasefire will remain in force for six months, it stated.
On August 27 night, suspected members of DNLA waylaid five trucks at Diymbra area in Dima Hasao, a hilly district in central Assam, sprayed bullets and set them on fire. Five truck drivers and handymen died and another was injured in the attack.
The trucks were carrying coal and clinkers for a private cement company.
Formed in 2019, DNLA demands a "sovereign state" for the Dimasas, a major tribe inhabiting in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Cachar and Nagaon districts of Assam and in parts of Nagaland. The outfit has been held responsible for several violent incidents including killings, abduction and extortion, particularly in Dima Hasao district.
The "ceasefire" comes five days after the Centre and Assam government signed an accord with five insurgent groups in neighbouring Karbi Anglong district, who demanded a separate state for the Karbis, another ethnic tribe.
Chief Minister Sarma, after signing the accord, appealed to all other militant groups to abjure violence and come forward for talks. Sarma said efforts were underway to "find a path" for negotiation with DNLA.
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(Published 09 September 2021, 13:22 IST)
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