Himu's Window

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 Over a thousand members of the indigenous Mahali community observed Jitia Parbon (a Mahali festival) at Baganpara village under Godagari upazila last Saturday amidst much fanfare. Mahali children, women, and men from some 18 villages of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainwabganj participated in the daylong festival that started from midnight. The remote Baganpara village reverberated with life as groups of Mahalis danced with the beats of dhol, madol and other traditional instruments. The festival formally started with a prayer for the well being of the country. Although the festival is considered to be the biggest social event of the Mahali community, it was not observed for about half a century until the celebration resumed last year. "Mahalis withdrew from celebrating the festival since many of them converted to Christianity. But now, we find our existence as Mahalis is at stake and this festival is part of our identity," said Zakar...

Published On: 2009-08-01   Lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha at a discussion in Rajshahi yesterday said an initiative has been taken to form a parliamentary body to resolve the problems of indigenous people in the plain land. The JS body would play role in creating opinions in parliament for the formation of a separate land commission with a view to solving the several decades old land-related problems, he added. "After the body is formed, it will hear opinions of the indigenous people for helping the parliament make a law, if necessary, as well as pressurise the government for establishing social status of the underprivileged ethnic minority," said Badsha. The grand alliance lawmaker warned that many officials in the police and district administrations are still loyal to the four-party alliance and the government is facing problems in functioning properly for them. "The pro-BNP-Jamaat officials are desperate enough to allow BNP hooligans to set fire to the ...

Monday, July 27, 2009   Over two hundred members of the indigenous community yesterday began a two-day long march across 55 kilometres from Porsha upazila to Naogaon town yesterday to protest attacks on indigenous families. The march was organised under the banner of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad (JAP) after a gang led by Nur Hosssain Master of Soraigachhi attacked the houses of some 74 families including 54 indigenous families at Katirpur on June 12. They torched, damaged and looted the houses and also randomly beat up indigenous men, women and children during the attack. Since the attack, some 300 members of the affected families have been left without homes, and the local administration has not come forward to help them, the protesters allege. On the first day yesterday, the protesters walked some 30 kilometres from Soraigachhi in Porsha to Mohadevpur upazila sadar. They will be joined by 300 more people this morning as they begin the march to Naogaon town. At Na...

Saturday, June 20, 2009 Editorial Eviction of indigenous people There must be zero tolerance for this kind of action The news out of Khatirpur at Porsha in Naogaon, where over 50 indigenous families have been attacked and forcibly evicted from their land, shocks us all. We unequivocally condemn this barbarous act, and strongly urge the government to take remedial action. The victimisation of Bangladesh's indigenous populations is, unfortunately, not a new phenomenon. We feel that the government has a special responsibility to protect the country's minority communities and to ensure that none of their rights are violated. It is because of their being in a minority, being out of the mainstream of society that land-grabbers and other criminal elements feel emboldened to cheat them or deny them of their rights. Powerful members of the majority community calculate that no one will lift a finger to help such marginalised people, and that they can thus be targeted with impunity. The ...

Sunday, February 1, 2009 Indigenous people in Rajshahi seek constitutional provision Indigenous children and leaders at a discussion here yesterday demanded constitutional provisions for their primary education in mother tongue. At the discussion styled 'We Want to Study in Mother Tongue' organised by Jatiya Adibashi Parishad (JAP) at Rajshahi Shilpakala Academy auditorium, they demanded nationalisation of existing two indigenous schools in Rajshahi and establishing at least one school at every village in the region. Learning without mother tongue is a major obstacle to primary education for ethnic students, said Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, who attended the discussion as chief guest. He said he would place the demands before the prime minister. Inaugurating the discussion, eminent littérateur Hasan Azizul Haque said government institutions as well as NGOs must come forward to ensuring education for the ethnic minorities. The goal of education for all cannot be achiev...

At least ten persons including two women from six indigenous communities are contesting for vice chairman posts in the upazila election in Rajshahi division. Five of them are from Santal tribe and one each from Razoar, Urao, Munda, Ganju and Rajbansi tribes. Two of them are housewives, one village doctor while the other candidates mentioned agriculture as their profession in the affidavits. In the affidavit, one indigenous candidate mentioned that he graduated in Social Science, two candidates passed HSC, one passed SSC, five read at high school while one mentioned that he is literate. Indigenous leaders are participating in local government election for the first time this year, said Rabindranath Saren, general secretary of Jatiya Adibasi Parishad (JAP). "Such participation will help empowering indigenous people in local government as well as upholding our history of depravity and losses of lives and properties". JAP sources said 38 different indigenous ...

'Indigenous women should be vocal for rights'   Speakers at a discussion in Rajshahi yesterday said indigenous women should raise their voice to ensure their rights. The government had to step back from implementing the National Women Development Policy following movement against it, they said at a discussion on 'CEDAW and rights of indigenous and minority women' at the auditorium of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Jatiya Adibasi Parishad (JAP), Institute for Environment and Development (IID) and Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha (BNPS) jointly organised the programme. Constitutional status of the indigenous people is yet to be acknowledged and the condition aboriginal women is not satisfactory, said Workers' Party politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha in his speech as the chief guest at the discussion. He suggested that the aboriginal women get organised to join the mainstream movement for ensuring women's rights. The government should...

Published On: 2008-04-03 National 15 evicted indigenous families in Patnitala finally get land deeds Finally, Naogaon district administration distributed deeds of permanent settlement of about 1.33 acres of khas land among 15 landless indigenous families in North Kazipara in Dibor union under Patnitala upazila. Some local land grabbers evicted them from the lands in November last year. The deeds were written at a simple ceremony, held at Patnitala on March 31. Sudhir Tirki, president of Patnitala unit of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad, Gulu Murmu, president of the upazila unit of Adibashi Samaj Unnayan Shangathan, Rakhi Mrong, publication secretary of Bangladesh Adibashi Odhikar Andolon and organising secretary Kerina Hasda were present on the occasion. The 15 people who got the land deeds are Nikhil Ekka, Khuyu Kujur, Kison Kerketa, Shusil Toppo, Buddhinath Kujur, Banu Ekka, Khuyu Ekka, Hembo Ekka, Subol Lakra, Rupchan Ria, Chanua Nania, Palanu, Anil Toppo, Rabi Ekka an...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19607   Govt must ensure welfare of indigenous people Speakers tell Gono Gobeshak Confce   Girls from indigenous community perform a dance number at a function marking the Gono Gobeshak Conference at Tanore in Rajshahi.   Speakers at the Gono Gobeshak Conference yesterday said the government must play a major role in ensuring welfare of underprivileged indigenous groups. They said the achievements of different NGOs in development of neglected indigenous ethnic societies are small in comparison to their huge population. So, government should undertake an initiative to follow the examples of Gono Gobeshak (researchers among rural poor) programme. Eminent litterateur Prof Hasan Azizul Haque attended the conference as the chief guest while Rabindranath Saren, general secretary, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad, Rina Roy, director (Rights), Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), and Tanore Upazila Nirbahi Officer Majedur Rahman...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19495   Switzerland to spend 20m francs annually for dev projects for five yrs     Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Dora Rapold yesterday said her country would spend up to 20 million Swiss francs annually for different development projects for next five years. "We have defined our priorities which include strengthening of the local government and spreading of education among the rural poor," she said. "Our second priority will be rural employment and income generating activities apart from funding on micro-credit and small entrepreneur promotion," she added. Dora was talking to The Daily Star after her visit to some projects involving indigenous groups on fisheries, sanitation and water distribution system at Tanore and Mohonpur upazilas. "We took Rajshahi and Sunamganj as our priority region considering povert...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=10504   Published On: 2007-11-06 Land-grab in Naogaon Goons ransack indigenous neighbourhood     A gang of criminals attacked an indigenous neighbourhood and injured at least 15 people and torched, looted and ransacked 19 houses in a bid to evict the inhabitants from the land at Uttar Kazipara of Patnitala upazila in Naogaon yesterday morning. The gang of 50 equipped with sticks and machetes swooped on the indigenous families around 7:30am. Around 50 indigenous families used to live on the land. The inhabitants initially tried to resist but had to fall back within minutes. The attackers then went on a rampage and set fire to several houses. Police rushed there and arrested five people on the spot. They are union parishad member Helal Uddin, Lutfar Rahman, Azizar Rahman, Ruhul Amin Sagar and Motibul Islam. The victims were seen weeping on their ravaged homestead. The district administration officials in the ...

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/20/d704201401116.htm   Adibashi Loko Utsab in Rajshahi Highlighting cultural diversity and harmony Ahsan Habib, back from Rajshahi Indigenous cultural diversity in Bangladesh was celebrated with music, dance, photo exhibition and discussion at the Adibashi Loko Utsab held recently in Rajshahi. The aim was to encourage harmony by incorporating their language and ethnic identity. The three-day event, jointly organised by Jatiyo Adibashi Parishad and Ashtha, was held at Bhubon Mohon Park, Rajshahi with the slogan 'Amader bhasha o porichoye jago Bangladesh'. Renowned litterateur Hassan Azizul Haque inaugurated the festival while advocate Sultana Kamal attended as chief guest. Anil Marandi of Jatiyo Adibashi Parishad presided over the programme. Participants from different ethnic groups -- Santal, Oraon, Munda, Mahali, Mandi, Rajbangshi, Rajoar, Bhuimali -- from Dinajpur, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Bogra and Gazi...