The Independent, 23 July 2002
Govt intervention sought
by Staff Reporter
The Chairman of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, yesterday feared an outbreak of violence in the Khasi-dominated hill area in Moulvibazar because of terrorists’ move to oust Khasis from their ancestral villages.
"With an intent to grab the lands with false documents, some groups of influential people are forcibly dislodging the tribal people from their ancestral homes, and I’m afraid there might be violent clashes if the indigenous people start resisting the terrorists because it is their (indigenous people’s) fight for survival," Larma told journalists at a press briefing in the city’s Banani area.
Santu Larma, also Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, demanded the government’s intervention to stop ousting the Khasi and Garo families from Longla Hill in Moulvibazar.
He asked the government to take measures to give ownership of the lands to the indigenous people under the ILO convention and also revoke the government’s move to set up eco-park on the lands where the indigenous people were living for years.
Santu Larma said that the life and property of the Khasi and Garo families on Longla Hill were at stake. "In some places the tribal families were leaving their ancestral homes in silence and in some places the tribal people are trying to resist the terrorists. If they (tribal people) are organised and try to take vengeance, the situation will take a serious turn and the government should act before the outbreak of any violent incidents," he said.
He said that the indigenous people had filed cases with the police station but no legal action had yet been taken.
Santu Larma expressed his dissatisfaction over the ‘slow-progress’ of implementation of the agreement the tribal leaders reached with the government on December 2, 1997. "I’ve already attended meetings with the present government and we’re trying to resolve the inconsistencies in the rules and regulations relating to full implementation of the peace deal," he said.
"Because of non-implemen-tation of the agreement, there virtually is no proper administration in the three hill districts... the army is still ruling the districts in the name of operation uttaran," Santu Larma said adding: The "Awami League government also moved at a snail’s pace to implement the agreement."
Regarding the distress of the Khasi families in Moulvibazar, Santu Larma said that there were some 32 cluster villages of Khasis and Garos in Kulaura in Moulvibazar. The Khasi families were driven out by the terrorists from several villages, including Kukijhuri, Lutijhuri, Eolachhora, Doluchhora, Muroychhora, and Ugaichhora.
"The terrorists continued their attacks and they had yesterday driven out the Khasi families from Phultola Khasi village," he said adding that the land grabbers were destroying the trees and pan-jum cultivated by the Khasis.
Replying to a question, Santu Larma said that the terrorists were being patronised by political leaders, but he did not name any political party.
The press briefing was also addressed by Sanjeeb Drong, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, and Father Joseph Gomes of Moulvibazar.