Observation of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples at Rangamati. Photo: Sudhasindhu Khisa
The New Nation, 9 August 2003
By Staff Reporter
Aug 9, 2003, 03:39
Chairman of Bangladesh Adibashi Forum and Chief of Parbatya Chattagram Gano
Sanghati Samity, Joytirindra Bodhipriya Larma on Friday made a clarion call
for unity of all democratic and progressive political parties and forces of
Bangladesh in order to launch a movement to protect the interests of the toiling
masses including the ethnic minorities of the country.
Observation of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples at Rangamati.
Photo: Sudhasindhu Khisa
"The major political parties, including the ruling BNP and the main opposition
Awami League would neither protect rights nor are ready to uphold the cause
of over 80 million poor living in the mainland and the Adibashis, including
those living in Chittagong Hill Tracts," Larma told a book launching ceremony
at National Press Club yesterday.
Research and Development Collective (RDC), a Dhaka-based non-profit body, organised
the function to launch its book, titled as " Biponya Bhumijo (the endangered
locals)," a compilation of articles on the condition of ethnic minorities
of Bangladesh and eastern parts of India. Prof Dr Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir
of Dhaka University presided over the ceremony and left-leaning political leaders,
academics and researchers took part in discussions on the book. Prof Mesbah
Kamal of Dhaka University made a brief introduction on the book on behalf of
the RDC editorial team.
A former guerilla leader Larma, who is leading the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional
Council as its Chairman, an office with status and authority of a State Minister
of the government, also renewed his allegation that the BNP-led alliance government
for pursuing a dilly-dally tactics in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Peace Accord. "This attitude (tactics) will obviously backfire and might
lead to serious crisis," said Larma who is popularly known as Shantu Larma,
the name he adopted and used during a 25-year-long guerilla warfare against
the central government that had began in 1973 after the then Prime Minister
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman denied ethnic identity of the tribal people
of Chittagong Hill Tracts asking them to adopt "Bangali identity."
The government, he said, is patronizing United People's Democratic Front (UPDF),
an 'organisation of terrorists' operating under a cover of regional autonomy,
only to frustrate the process of peace and development in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The Parbatya Chattagram Gano Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) Chief also warned against what he termed complacency on resolving problems relating to development of the ethnic minorities, including the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts by the government and orgsnisations (opposition political parties) concerned. "Life of the aborigines (tribal people) are now endangered. The situation calls for a mass movement to protect them."
PCJSS Vice-President Rupayan Dewan was critical of the left-democratic and
progressive political parties and forces of the country for what he said indifference
to tribal people.
CPB General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said he does not agree with those
who describes the ethnic minorities as aborigines pushing them to a face off
with the majority Bangali people.
He urged the leaders of the ethnic minorities and small nationalities of Bangladesh to forge unity with the struggles of the mainstream working people.