NSCN-IM poster sparks fear in Dima Hasao

SILCHAR: The appearance of a flag and poster of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim - Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) at the Maibang locality has been a cause of alarm in Assam's hill district of Dima Hasao.
The objective of NSCN (IM) is to establish a Nagalim (Greater Nagaland), comprising all Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and some portions of Myanmar, considered the 'rightful' homeland of the Nagas.
The outfit's flag and a poster, demanding 'Greater Nagaland', were spotted near a railway bridge at the Old Maibang area on Wednesday. Soon after hearing about it, police rushed to the spot and removed them.
A senior police official dismissed the incident as the handiwork of 'miscreants'. The official from Haflong, the headquarters of Dima Hasao, on Thursday said an investigation has been launched. No arrest has been made yet.
The official added that security forces had carried out a routine patrol of the area on Wednesday night. It is assumed that the flag and poster must have been planted in the wee hours of the day. The people of the district are, however, concerned.
Jadike Naiso Hosom (JNH), the apex body of Dimasa community in Dima Hasao district, demanded immediate action against those responsible for it. JNH president Kalyan Daolagupu said they will submit a memorandum to the district administration and police authorities on Friday urging them to take necessary steps. He also expressed his concern that political hands may be involved.
The map of Nagalim released by the NSCN (IM) claims the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts of Assam. The map also includes parts of the districts of Golaghat, Sibasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat.