The Independent, 26 September 2003
http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/sep/26/26092003mt.htm#A4
AUDITY FALGUNI BACK FROM DIGHINALA, KHAGRACHARI
This is the second of a six-part series on the situation in Chittagong Hill Tracts following an incident at Mahalchhari on August 26.
Delay in rehabilitating Jumma refugees in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) under the 16-points rehabilitation package of 1994, 20-points package of March 9, 1997 and articles 1,2 of chapter D of the peace accord of 1997 is affecting the peace process in the region.
The Government’s reluctance to set up the Task Force on Welfare of Jumma Refugees (TWJR) and the recent closure of ration service to the refugees has worsened the situation.
Around 64,609 members of 12,222 repatriated ethnic refugee families from Tripura, India, are yet to be rehabilitated since the signing of the peace accord on December 2, 1997, according to sources.
It is reported that 3,055 Jumma families did not get back their land, homestead, garden, mouza forest and cemetery grounds. Approximately 40 hill villages, six Buddhist temples of Chakmas and two Hari temples of Tripuras and one Buddhist orphanage are still in the possession of Bengali settlers and Army or Ansar forces.
A spot visit on last Saturday to the Dighinala tribal refugee camp revealed the gravity of the situation.
"We, 17 refugee families, have been living here since 1999. Our ration allotment, which used to be 20 kg rice per head her month, ended two months earlier. We cannot return to our home and plough our own land. We are just earning as irregulars day labourer," said Chittaranjan Chakma (39), a refugee at the Dighinala camp, to The Independent on Saturday.
Chittaranjan Chakma was owner of 6.53 decimal of first class paddy land at Chota Meroong mouza. He had to leave for the Thakumbari refugee camp, Tripura, in 1986. He married and became father of six children in the refugee camp and later returned to the country on February 21, 1998.
It was the same story with Krishna Bala Chakma (35), Jibon Bikash Dewan (15), Suresh Chakma (40) or Sita Devi Chakma (32).
"The government has stopped ration worth about 60 kg rice per hill refugee family each month since 1997 while the government is allocating 85 kg rice per settler Bengalee family since 1978," alleged Suresh Chakma.
Suresh Chakma had two acres of land at Boalkhali bazar, Dighinala, but now cannot return to his home and is continuing on as irregular worker.
Santosita Chakma Bakul, General Secretary of CHT Repatriated Jumma Refugees Welfare Association (CRJRWA), said: "Against the backdrop of 14 incidents of genocide on hill people during 1979 to 1993, more than 70,000 Jumma men and women fled to Tripura, India. Of them, around 12,222 families returned to the country in six phases during 1994 to 1998 as per the provisions of 16points and 20 points packages and the peace treaty of 1997. The Government, however, failed to provide them with enough security and dignity of life as promised in the three agreements."
"A number of refugees are yet to get the homesteads back. They are living in a distressful condition in the refugee camps," he added.
He, in this regard, mentioned the post- peace accord ethnic riots, including the Machchachara bazar incident of Khagrachari on April 12 1997, Babuchara bazar incident at Dighinala upazilla, Khagrachari on October 16 1999, Shanti Luxmipur incident on May 18 2001, Ramgarh incident of June 25 of 2001 and the last event of August 26 at Mahalchari.
He expressed frustration over the government’s proposed decision to grant 26,000 Bengalee families permanent resident status.
Meantime, CRJRWA on September 20 held a press briefing at the Khagrachari Press Club and demanded that the government should immediately distribute ration for the Jumma refugees by September 24, otherwise they would start a 72-hours’ road blockade programme on September 26.