Lake of thousand tears

Chittagong Hill Tracts

“Chittagong Hill Tracts” is consisted three hill distracts such as Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Banderban in north – east of Bangladesh with living eleven ethnic groups since immemorial and ethnically they are Mongolian and lawfully these areas considered as indigenous peoples inhabitants. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) occupies a physical area of 5.093 sq. miles (13,295 sq.km), constituting ten per cent of the total land area of Bangladesh. Seven main valleys formed by the Feni, Karnafuli, Chengi, Myani, Kassalong, Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers.

Fate and hope of indigenous peoples

“No wind blowing on the hill.

And no bird chirping-

Instead of bullets shooting-

And shouting, screaming, fulfill.

No places for them to escape.

Houses, shelters burnt to ashes”.

In CHT (chittagong hill tracts) around long ninety eight years (1900 – 1997) there has been practicing oppression constitutionally by the system of Government. The fates of indigenous people circulating restlessly in this handmade chain or bound for long and long. The duration is first West Pakistan, British and after then an independent Bangladesh, in this way indigenous people’s fates stilly going ahead as time does by. In 1900 British rule, conspiracy starts setting up “CHT Regulation Right”, secondly Pakistan oppression and after becoming independent Bangladesh, “Peace Accord” in 1997 becomes ordeal to all indigenous people The “Peace Accord” held between then ruling government Awami League and PCJSS (Parbortyo Chattagram Jana Shanghoti Samati) leader Santu Larma (leader of peace fighter) at Khagrachari, every one took long breath of peace through the implementation of “Peace Accord”. But it was like showing old finger, which had been shown to all indigenous people But it was not implemented fully and many of claims of PCJSS had not been implemented by the then ruling government.

Through passing those periods how many often their (indigenous people) blood, sweat together mixed with Karnafuli, Chengi, Myani, Kassalong, Sangu rivers that made water turbid. But indigenous people have been fighting for years to years and era to era to save their culture, tradition, and their own right. The man who are cultivating, fighting in jungle for living well but in presence their fate is too far from them. They have thousand questions address to the government regarding their right, existence. Question is unable to answer of their thousand questions, and to them lot, fate, hope, peace, is dream wither which will ever comes true or not, they don’t know. But they are now yet waiting for a new day when nothing as genocide, massacre, rape, brutal violence, destruction on religion will be happened. They never want to loss their son, father, mother, and sister more. In the passage of indigenous people in CHT there have been happened many genocide incidents and rapes, and many of the incidents have been happened by helping of the Army those are working at chittagong hill tracts as special weapon of government which duty is to destroy indigenous people.

The problems of CHT are mainly land, which is why many incidents happening at there between two communities such as Chakma, and Bangali (refugee).

19, 20, 23 February’10 Tragedy

Many of the incidents held before and presently happening on in CHT between two communities particularly such as Chakma and Bangali. In this case many of them lost their family, father, mother, offspring and their land and on the other hand many of women have been abducted.

Like those incidents there has recently been happened on 19, 20, at Baghaihat and 23 at Khagrachuri, which has taken top place of every newspaper and media in the Bangladesh. In this conflict a lot of blood and tear flooded and mixed into read river water.

“Mother died in front of her Children and house burnt too”(a tragic indecent)

[It was almost afternoon 11am, after taking lunch with her offspring and hastily having closed doors of house, she started to run to find out a shelter. But unfortunately while crossing area of house she was hurt by a bullet and she fell down upon the soil.

This mother died of shooting bullet, name is Buddhapudi Chakma, she was died on 21 feb2010 through shooting bullet by Army in the incident of Baghaihat, was living with her childs at Baghaihat, sub-district of Baghaichuri of Rangamati. Her husband is Uttam Chakma, they have three childs are Suneeta Chakma, Jewel Chakma, and Rupana Chakma. Uttam Chakma (her husband) was not present at this time.

“ She was worried much with us and father, before closing eyes for good,

she said us to give the news of her death to father and said us to run away… and go to the shelter, I am dying”

said to Suneeta when her mother was dying…. Suneeta also said two bangalies burnt their house in front of Army at this time.]

Land Problem as a main Problem

But in true, we are loosing everything by and by – our land, culture, tradition etc, this news is not a recent that we have been hearing it for long long years, the beginning of distress to us started from having British colonized in the sub-continent. But what they had oppressed to us in those times is not more than we have been facing after independent of Bangladesh.

I strongly say, our culture, tradition, mother tongue and our songs included in our blood, face and word. The civil war against state government is about one era has been happening at CHT for making peace and stopping genocide, violence, rape, racism and communal affrays. But till now, nothing implemented there, rather happening communal melees between indigenous people and bangali(refugee), none come close to us and no any series elected government instead we seen many tragic incidents in where mother lost her children and someone lost their parent. Now their mouth is dumb, eyes lost its sight in cause of crying as running stream. Everyday sun rises in east and set in west but to them life is full of dark and anxiety.

Background of Conflicts:

As we know the conflicts in CHT – genocide, rape, army torture and communal affray have been happening exactly after independent of Bangladesh. In CHT “Land Problem” is the major problem that causing other problems; but on this subject, nobody takes it in care, as result of their careless, peoples sacrificing life and bloody incidents happing on.

Land problem of Chittagong Hill Tracts is supposed to be key of other problems occurring that enlarged political restless condition and spreading scandal of the country as anti-human right country. Land right of indigenous people is customary right that is anciently or traditionally recognized. Through analyzing one half years history of past having CHT recognized as a district, we have seen the conspiracy practiced over to Jumma (hilly) peoples to occupy their land and inference of indigenous peoples land occurred in 1870 through proclaiming Chittagong Hill Tracts as persevered forest area.

In British period, entrance of non-indigenous people from out of CHT, had been controlled strictly and those who are non-locals, can not belong to the land. According to the Act – 52 of Regulation in 1900, “Inter Line System” was practiced till in 1930. As a result of that on-locals were needed to make permission for entering to Chittagong Hill Tracts. In the act – 311 of the constitution of 1935 established by British Parliament to dominate India; there is given description of indigenous people area and the chapter 3, lesson no 91 and 92 in where depicted about CHT as out of dominated area in British period. As a result of that Chittagong Hill Tracts was not dominated in British period. In 1947 after born two countries – Pakistan and India, then CHT was included in East Pakistan (present Bangladesh) Pakistan set up new constitution first in 1956.

According to the constitution of 1935, government gave privilege to non- advanced area people (Chittagong Hill Tracts) before Pakistan period and these privileges were kept in continuing having set up new constitution in Pakistan time and Pakistan constitution set up secondly in 1962. According to the new second constitution, CHT was out of domination area moreover, later, in 1963 constitution of Pakistan had been amended including Chittagong Hill Tracts. According to that constitution in where referred if any changing of CHT is needed that must be accomplished in talking between Pakistan precedent and indigenous people. But except talking they neglected these rules. On the other hand they did not change the CHT regulation for international pressure.

We have seen the Captai hydro electric dam as an example of conspiracy, is set up in 1960 neglecting people opinion. In this region 125 villagers and 161920 acres of land went under water and about 18,000 families faced problems only due to set up the dam at Captai. Probably in the history of CHT, Captai dam was a first strike over the land right in 20^th century. Two-fifth, total land of faddy field went under water i.e. 58,000 acres land went under water permanently, moreover compensation was not enough to those who lost their land.

On the other hand farmers got some indemnity but jummas (who cultivating on hill) got nothing. In chittagong hill tracts internal land problem and settlement of land has been performing since British period but their own rule was failed after independent of Bangladesh through changing Act 34 of 1900 century constitution and later there was started to land allotment for non-locals at bazzer(town) area.

Bangali settlers:

In the late 1970s President Zia sponsored migration of Bangladeshi settlers into the CHT, providing land grants, cash and rations. This programme was not made public at the time, and its existence was denied by the representative of the government. Now the government acknowledges that there was a programme of sponsored migration. Bangladeshi settlers, with the connivance of the almost totally Bengali administration, have been able to take over land and even whole villages from the Jummas. By 1981 the Bangladeshis made up nearly one third of the total population of the CHT. (web collection)

References:

prothagota vumi adhikar bonam parboyto aein o proshason (Proptim Roy Pampu)

prothom alo news paper of Bangladesh reported on 22 feb2010.