Bangalis are the only Adivashi / indigenous people in Bangladesh
by A.M.K.Chowdhury
Adivashi/ indigenous people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina correctly said, "We are the only Adivashi/ indigenous people in Bangladesh. Tribal people who live in here came to Bangladesh after a long time our ancestor came. So, we are true indigenous people of Bangladesh." The PM said this while she and foreign minister Dipu Moni met the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki – moon during the 66th UN General Assembly meeting at the headquarters in New York on September 23, 2011.
Earlier on July 26, 2011 the then foreign minister Dipu Moni told diplomats and journalists that the minority people living in the CHT were tribal, and not "indigenous". She also said that CHT people were "asylum seekers" and Bangalis are the true indigenous people of Bangladesh. Dipu Moni further said that all minorities were recognized generically as minorities in the Constitution and through the 15th amendment, the present government has catagorised them as 'ethnic minorities' and no longer only as 'tribal people' as reported on August 12, 2011 in the media.
It should be noted here that a circular issued by the Local Government and Rural Development ministry on March 11, 2012 directed all the district administration not to co-operate with the observance of the Indigenous Day and this disseminated a message to the effect that there are no indigenous people in the country.
14 ethnic minorities in CHT
There are some 14 ethnic minorities in the CHT. They are known as Chakma, Marma (Mogh), Larma, Jummas, Tippra, Murong, Panko, Kyong, Mro, Tanchanga, Bomang, Lushai, Kuki, Khumi etc. all of whom are of anthropological interest. Each tribe has its own dialect. By religion , most of them are Buddhists, but there are also animists. Buddhists are next to Hindus in respect of population. Some of them are converted to Christianity.
The Chakma tribes came from Arakan in 1673 A.D., the Marmas (Mogh) came here in 1784. The Bomang settled in the CHT during the seventeeth century. The Murong, Mro, Kyong, Panko and Kiuki came here about 200 to 300 years ago. Besides some ethnic groups such as Khasia, Monipuri live in Sylhet, Garo in Mymensingh, Santals, Orang and Mundas at Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Bogra and Rangpur. They came here about 100 to 200 years ago during the British rule to work at tea gardens. Santals came from Choto Nagpur of India for 'indigo' cultivation.
The people of CHT constitute approximately 0.5 per cent of the total population of our country. The density is about 113 per square km of the country. Bangali settlers are of the view that the number of Bangali settlers should be increased in the CHT.
The only Adivashis
Some discussants at a seminar at Dhaka University held views that Bangalis are the only Adivashi people in Bangladesh. There is no scope to recognize any other group as Adivashi. Prof.Dr.Syed Anwar Hossain of Dhaka University said, it is justified to recognise various 'Nrigosthi' living in Bangladesh as 'Khudra jatisatta' in the light of history. Prof. Emeritus Anisuzzaman was chief guest, while Prof.Dr.Khursida Begum and Prof.Dr.Sufi Mustafizur Rahman of Jahangirnagar University took part in the seminar. Prof. AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, was in the chair. ( Naya Diganta, dated October 27, 2013).
There is no proof that ethnic minorities of Bangladesh are aboriginals or indigenous like Red Indians of America or black men of Australia. Almost all the tribal people living in the CHT came from Tibet, Arakan and Myanmar. Ethnically, linguistically and historically they cannot be recognized as aboriginals or indigenous people instead of ethnic minorities. They are not the 'sons of the soil'.
There are some ethnic minorities in Bangladesh. The Constitution has not yet recognised any ethnic group as indigenous people. So, it will be unconstitutional if they are identified as indigenous people.
A news report said the speakers at the launching ceremony of a book, "Parbatya Chattagram – Bon Paherer Sat – Satero" organized by the publisher, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs ministry opined that it is impossible to resolve CHT problems without understanding the life and culture of "indigenous" communities. The problems have to be solved politically, they added. Prof. Mesbah Kamal said despite being a part of the anti-colonial movement and fighting against the Pakistani Occupation army during the 1971 Liberation War, contribution of "indigenous "people of CHT were not recognised duly. M. Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry, unveiled the book while State Minister for CHT affairs Bir Bahadur U Shoi Shing was in the chair. (see The Daily Star, dated November 17, 2014). They used the wrong word "indigenous" at the programme.
Ethnic minorities
The aboriginals are the group of human race "who have been residing in a place from time immemorial". They are ethnic minorities by any definition. The Oxford Dictionary says: "An aboriginal is a member of race of people who were the original people living in a country." According to Chamber's Dictionary the word "indigenous means "native born: originally or produced naturally in a country." It will be unconstitutional if anybody uses the very word 'indigenous' to identify the14 ethnic minorities in the CHT. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an aboriginal is "a member of the indigenous or earliest known population of a region; a native".
The ethnic minorities are not Bangali by ethnic background. They are Bangladeshi citizens by birth. So, they should be introduced as Bangladeshbasi or Bangladesh people. This will not create any division among the people.
Holiday,December 12, 2014
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/Homepage/Pages/UserHome.aspx?ID=4&date=0#Tid=8518
by A.M.K.Chowdhury
Adivashi/ indigenous people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina correctly said, "We are the only Adivashi/ indigenous people in Bangladesh. Tribal people who live in here came to Bangladesh after a long time our ancestor came. So, we are true indigenous people of Bangladesh." The PM said this while she and foreign minister Dipu Moni met the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki – moon during the 66th UN General Assembly meeting at the headquarters in New York on September 23, 2011.
Earlier on July 26, 2011 the then foreign minister Dipu Moni told diplomats and journalists that the minority people living in the CHT were tribal, and not "indigenous". She also said that CHT people were "asylum seekers" and Bangalis are the true indigenous people of Bangladesh. Dipu Moni further said that all minorities were recognized generically as minorities in the Constitution and through the 15th amendment, the present government has catagorised them as 'ethnic minorities' and no longer only as 'tribal people' as reported on August 12, 2011 in the media.
It should be noted here that a circular issued by the Local Government and Rural Development ministry on March 11, 2012 directed all the district administration not to co-operate with the observance of the Indigenous Day and this disseminated a message to the effect that there are no indigenous people in the country.
14 ethnic minorities in CHT
There are some 14 ethnic minorities in the CHT. They are known as Chakma, Marma (Mogh), Larma, Jummas, Tippra, Murong, Panko, Kyong, Mro, Tanchanga, Bomang, Lushai, Kuki, Khumi etc. all of whom are of anthropological interest. Each tribe has its own dialect. By religion , most of them are Buddhists, but there are also animists. Buddhists are next to Hindus in respect of population. Some of them are converted to Christianity.
The Chakma tribes came from Arakan in 1673 A.D., the Marmas (Mogh) came here in 1784. The Bomang settled in the CHT during the seventeeth century. The Murong, Mro, Kyong, Panko and Kiuki came here about 200 to 300 years ago. Besides some ethnic groups such as Khasia, Monipuri live in Sylhet, Garo in Mymensingh, Santals, Orang and Mundas at Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Bogra and Rangpur. They came here about 100 to 200 years ago during the British rule to work at tea gardens. Santals came from Choto Nagpur of India for 'indigo' cultivation.
The people of CHT constitute approximately 0.5 per cent of the total population of our country. The density is about 113 per square km of the country. Bangali settlers are of the view that the number of Bangali settlers should be increased in the CHT.
The only Adivashis
Some discussants at a seminar at Dhaka University held views that Bangalis are the only Adivashi people in Bangladesh. There is no scope to recognize any other group as Adivashi. Prof.Dr.Syed Anwar Hossain of Dhaka University said, it is justified to recognise various 'Nrigosthi' living in Bangladesh as 'Khudra jatisatta' in the light of history. Prof. Emeritus Anisuzzaman was chief guest, while Prof.Dr.Khursida Begum and Prof.Dr.Sufi Mustafizur Rahman of Jahangirnagar University took part in the seminar. Prof. AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, was in the chair. ( Naya Diganta, dated October 27, 2013).
There is no proof that ethnic minorities of Bangladesh are aboriginals or indigenous like Red Indians of America or black men of Australia. Almost all the tribal people living in the CHT came from Tibet, Arakan and Myanmar. Ethnically, linguistically and historically they cannot be recognized as aboriginals or indigenous people instead of ethnic minorities. They are not the 'sons of the soil'.
There are some ethnic minorities in Bangladesh. The Constitution has not yet recognised any ethnic group as indigenous people. So, it will be unconstitutional if they are identified as indigenous people.
A news report said the speakers at the launching ceremony of a book, "Parbatya Chattagram – Bon Paherer Sat – Satero" organized by the publisher, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs ministry opined that it is impossible to resolve CHT problems without understanding the life and culture of "indigenous" communities. The problems have to be solved politically, they added. Prof. Mesbah Kamal said despite being a part of the anti-colonial movement and fighting against the Pakistani Occupation army during the 1971 Liberation War, contribution of "indigenous "people of CHT were not recognised duly. M. Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry, unveiled the book while State Minister for CHT affairs Bir Bahadur U Shoi Shing was in the chair. (see The Daily Star, dated November 17, 2014). They used the wrong word "indigenous" at the programme.
Ethnic minorities
The aboriginals are the group of human race "who have been residing in a place from time immemorial". They are ethnic minorities by any definition. The Oxford Dictionary says: "An aboriginal is a member of race of people who were the original people living in a country." According to Chamber's Dictionary the word "indigenous means "native born: originally or produced naturally in a country." It will be unconstitutional if anybody uses the very word 'indigenous' to identify the14 ethnic minorities in the CHT. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an aboriginal is "a member of the indigenous or earliest known population of a region; a native".
The ethnic minorities are not Bangali by ethnic background. They are Bangladeshi citizens by birth. So, they should be introduced as Bangladeshbasi or Bangladesh people. This will not create any division among the people.
Holiday,December 12, 2014
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/
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