Seminar on protect and indigenous people rights

The Daily Star
October 20, 2008
Staff Correspondent

Rangamati: Speakers at a seminar yesterday demanded the government constitute a permanent land commission to protect the land rights of the indigenous people in Chittagong hill tracts and plain land areas. They urged the political parties, willing to contest the next general polls, to make a public announcement for protecting the land and human rights of the indigenous people as well as to extend full support for them in the election manifestos.

The speakers made the call at the seminar on “Jhum cultivation and state policy: Context of land rights of the hill indigenous” organized by Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) at YWCA auditorium in the city.

Presenting a written statement at the seminar, researcher Santosh Bikash Tripura said the question of indigenous people's land rights is related to their jhum cultivation and the issue of controlling the farming and the state's economic and political rights are directly linked. “Assurance of the indigenous people's rights to land and livelihoods are very urgent for solving the problems regarding the jhum cultivation,” he said. He informed that only 35 percent of the indigenous people are involved in or dependent on jhum cultivation.

The speakers said the misuse of the land law and state policies has made them landless and marginal and its negative impacts have affected the livelihoods of jhum cultivators. By rehabilitating the Bangalee landless people in the hill tracts, the indigenous landless people have been made marginal and, moreover, the jhum farming has been restricted, they added.

Economist Dr Abul Barkat called on the government to stop the eviction of the indigenous people of Chittagong hill tracts. Presided over by woman leader Khushi Kabir, the seminar was addressed by Dr Ainun Nahar, Dr Ahsan Ali, Barendralal Tripura, Goutam Chakma, Utpal Khisa and ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda.