Silchar, June 25: Tension prevailed at Joypur in Lakhipur constituency of Assam's Cachar district following an alleged attack on the Hmars of Choto Kumpi village by a few members of the Pnar (Jaintia) community of the neighbouring Boro Kumpi village.
Choto Kumpi is 5km from Boro Kumpi under Joypur police station in Lakhipur.
The office-bearers of four Hmar organisations today tendered mass resignations from their posts protesting police inaction against the guilty.
The president of Hmar Supreme House, Gldeon Lalthomlien Hmar, today told this correspondent at Hmarkhawlien, a Hmar habitat in Lakhipur, that a group of people belonging to the Pnar community of Boro Kumpi village had allegedly attacked 17 Hmar families residing in Choto Kumpi village on June 2.
"Around 100 people carrying sharp weapons, locally-made pistols and other firearms vandalised all the houses of Hmar people, rendering them homeless. The paddy fields and vegetable gardens of Choto Kumpi were destroyed by the attackers," he added.
Lalthomlien said the 17 families who were rendered homeless, had taken shelter at Union High School at Hmarkhawlien, 30km from Choto Kumpi and 36km from here. "In protest against police inaction, we have tendered resignations from all posts. We have failed to ensure justice to the victims. We have lost all faith in the district administration. Now, if any untoward incident happens, the government will be responsible," Lalthomlien said.
The president of the Hmar National Union, Assam, T. Sangkhum, said following the incident they had lodged an FIR with Joypur police station, but nobody has been arrested yet.
"We have submitted a series of memoranda to the Cachar district administration seeking action against the guilty, but no steps have been taken. They are moving freely in the area. It is very unfortunate."
Cachar additional deputy commissioner M.K. Das told this correspondent here today that they had convened a tripartite meeting involving representatives of Hmar and Pnar communities and the district administration on June 17.
"The clash was triggered by a misunderstanding between people of the two communities. The former headman of Boro Kumpi village, Lewis Suchen, was the mastermind behind the attack. After initial inquiry, it has been found that Suchen instigated a group of people to attack Choto Kumpi for his vested interests," he added.
Das said the administration had also distributed relief materials among the inmates of Union High School.
Altogether 52 persons are there at the relief camp in Hmarkhawlien. One of the inmates told this correspondent that they had received 50kg rice, 8kg dal and 5kg salt from the administration.
Choto Kumpi village, 55km from Silchar via Poilapool in Lakhipur and 45km from here via Udharbond, has been inhabited by the Hmars since 1930. In 1945, then British deputy commissioner appointed Reema Hmar as the headman of the village which is now also known as Reema Punji. The village was deserted in 2003 due to an ethnic clash that broke out between the Dimasas and the Hmars. The people resettled again in the village in 2013.
Police sources said they had launched a drive to arrest the guilty who fled the village after the incident.
