Special Article: Indigenous leaders of Chittagong Hill Tracts

Indigenous leaders of Chittagong Hill Tracts

About the International Indigenous Day and the Indigenous leaders of the Chittagong Hill Tracts

WE REALLY wondered when hearing the new debate about the term ‘Indigenous’ and ‘tribal’ Issues in the CHT. The Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS) urged the government for Indigenous recognition in place of ‘tribe’ and United People Democratic Front (UPDF) urged the government for constitutional recognition of all ethnic groups in each tribal ethnic terms. Before the Peace Accord in 1997, the hill leaders used the term tribe. Even in the Papers of Peace Accord of CHT, JSS leaders wrote and signed, “the term of hill people will be Tribe”. Then, no one complained. 

Today, the leaders want Indigenous recognition. What marvelous politics. UPDF, that never wanted the Peace Accord of CHT, complained that the JSS leaders earned huge money from International organizations, such as the United Nations Development Organizations (UNDP), DANIDA, Asia Development Bank (ADB), in the name of observation of Indigenous Day. They save money to buy arms with. Leaders of both organizations complain with each other. 

On the other hand the government announced that in Bangladesh the term Adibashi (Indigenous) cannot be used, now people can only use the term Nrigushthi (small ethnic group). Earlier, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni stated that there were no Indigenous people in Bangladesh. Bangladesh government (according to memo: CHTAM (s-2)29/2010/25, Date: 28.01.2010) announced that according to the notice declared by the government there are 45 Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. In the laws of Hill District Councils, Regional Council and state’s constitution “tribes” should be used for the hill peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts. The term Indigenous was not used anywhere for the hill people. 

Mr. Dipankor Talukder, former Minister of CHT Affairs, said that Sontu Larma (Chairman of JSS and the present Chairman of Bangladesh Indigenous Forum) and Barrister Devashish Roy (Chief of Chakma Circle) spoke about that there are no Indigenous here in this country; there are small ethnic people. They are now urging to the government for recognition as indigenous. 

Diponkor Talukder also said that when the first World Indigenous Day was observed in Dhaka in 1994, Sontu Larma himself said then no Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. We are all tribes. He (Talukder) repeated that during the Peace Accord of CHT, he had said to Sontu Larma to use the term indigenous in place of tribe, but he then did not agree with him. 

At the time, Larma rather told him that we are not indigenous people, we are tribal. As a result, the term tribe for all the hill peoples was included in the CHT Peace Accord. 

On the other hand, Barrister Devashish Roy, while he was an adviser in the Caretaker government, wrote that there are no Indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. There are only tribal people. If so, why are leaders interested to use the term indigenous now? What are the reasons behind this?

By: -

Information and Publicity Department

KUKI-CHIN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (KNDO)

Chittagong Hills, Bangladesh

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