Gorlosa on Fast For Release

Jewel Gorlosa and (right) Niranjan Hojai being produced in court in Guwahati on Thursday.

Guwahati, Aug 20 : DHD (J) chairman Jewel Gorlosa and commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai will launch an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow to demand the immediate release of all jailed leaders and cadres of the outfit, including themselves.

Hojai, who was produced in court here today along with Gorlosa and R.H. Khan, a key accused in the Rs 1,000-crore scam in the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, proclaimed the outfit’s demands with a slogan written on his white T-shirt, “We demand immediate release”.

Phaiphrang Dimasa, the publicity in-charge of Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), said over phone that as a show of solidarity with the leaders, all the cadres of the outfit will observe a 24-hour hunger strike in the three designated camps at Jatinga, Harangajao and Maibang from tomorrow morning.

Hojai had also sat on a hunger strike along with other leaders and cadres of the outfit on August 9 and had sent a memorandum to home minister P. Chidambaram to demand the immediate release of the leaders and cadres.

“But the government failed to respond by the August 19 deadline set by the DHD (J). This makes it clear that the government is not keen on fulfilling its promises to the DHD (J) and has compelled our leaders to stage an indefinite hunger strike from August 20 until our leaders and cadres are released,” Dimasa said.

He said the DHD (J) was the only organisation whose case had been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 6, 2009.

“It is very unfortunate and surprising that (the cases of) many other banned organisations all over India have not been handed over to the National Investigation Agency though none of them have come forward for surrender nor have they signed the peace treaty agreement,” he added.