The Struggle continued in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)

--John Tripura

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are an area within the Chittagong Division in the southeastern
part of Bangladesh, bordering India any Myanmar (Burma), comprises a total area of 5,093 sqm.
Miles with around 1.6 million populations (as per census 2011) and they formed a single district
until 1984. From the time immemorial, CHT had been the peaceful abode to the indigenous
peoples, namely, Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Mro, Bawm, Pangkhu, Khyang, Khumi, Chak,
Lushai, Tanchangya. They collectively identify themselves as the Jumma people (High Landers).
Besides, a very small number of descendants of Assames, Gorkha and Santals also live in there.
They are distinct and different from the majority Bengali people of Bangladesh in respects of
race, language, culture, heritage and religion.
Historically, the CHT had largely been a self‐governed independent territory and totally excluded
area until 1860. In 1900, the British enacted the Regulation 1 of the 1900 CHT Act, also known
as British Manual Act in order to protect the indigenous Jumma people from economic
exploitation of Bengali Muslims and to preserve their traditional, social, cultural and political
institutions based on customary laws, common ownership of land and so on. Throughout the
British colonial period, the 1900 CHT Act functioned as a safeguard for the indigenous people,
prohibited land ownership and migrations of Bengali Muslims in the CHT which mean that
people from the plaints were barred from settling there. We might say the indigenous Jumma
peoples of CHT have had enjoyed the absolute freedom of life in that period.

However, on the other hand, as the CHT Jumma people have joined with the India during the
partition in 1947, so the Pakistani Government looked at the indigenous Jumma people with an
eye of suspicion for being anti-Pakistani. And after the partition in 1955, the then East Pakistan
Cabinet decided to bring the three districts under the administrative system of the rest of the
country. After that, the disaster has started in CHT by the construction of the hydraulic Kaptai
Dam from 1957-1963; we might say that was the death trap of CHT Jumma peoples and the
struggle continued. And due to the dam establishment, which had far-reaching socio-economic
and political consequences for the CHT, submerged 54 thousand acres of first class arable land
were gone through under the water and evicted 100,000 Jumma people from their homestead.
Moreover, on the other hand on 10 February 1963 Manabandra Narayan (M N) Larma had to
undergo for detention due to his protest against the unjustified and for improper compensation
and the rehabilitation of the affected people of Kaptai dam and he was the only person who took
this brave initiative for the vulnerable and the unjustified Jumma people. And finally, he was
released from the detention on 8 March 1965. But the struggle still continued.

The struggle was not only with the CHT indigenous Jumma peoples but also towards the Hindus
Bengalis religion, minorities as after the partition in 1947/48 and still continuing. And the
process of systematic ethnic cleansing and the persecution of the religious minorities in
Bangladesh are still ongoing. For example, if we look at the census figures on Hindus
populations which have been showing a steady downward since 1901 to 2011. In 1901, the
Hindus comprised of 33 percent. And this went down directly to 22 percent in 1951 and in 1991
it was 10.5 percent. And according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic in 2001 the population
of Hindus was 9.2 percent and in 2011 it comes and stands at 9 percent only. On the other hand,
the Muslims were 66.1 percent in 1901 and this has dramatically risen up to 90.4 percent till
2011 according to the census. Why I have come up with this census figures, is to show the real
implausible situations of the Hindus religion minorities of Bangladesh since 1947 and till now.
But paradoxically have to say, on the other hand, in a dramatic situation these Hindus religion,
minorities are standing as a pillar and doing conspiracy against the indigenous Jumma peoples in
CHT with the help of settler’s Bengalis.
During the 1971 liberation period beside the mainstream population of Bangladeshi freedom
fighters, the indigenous peoples were also taken part to fight against the Pak occupation Army’s.
And with the bloodshed of around 300,000 million Bangladeshi women who were raped,
tortured, murdered and sexually harassed by the Pakistani occupation army with the support of
Bihari and Razakar militias. We have got the independent state we deserved and we form a
government with a sovereign state constitution in 1972. On 16 February 1972, with 18 –member
of the indigenous Jumma peoples delegation Manabendra Narayan Larma has submitted a
memorandum to the first Prime Minister Shaikh Mujibur Rahman of Independent Bangladesh
demanding with regional autonomy for the protection of the district ethnic (Jumma indigenous),
religion and cultural identity of the CHT indigenous Jumma people. But what happened? The
identity of the CHT Jumma people has been denied by the first Prime Minister Shaikh Mujibur
Rahman of Bangladesh. He said to forget the identity and to become Bengali. --Manabendra
Narayan (MN) Larma replied “I am a Chakma… A Chakma can never be a Bengali. I am a
citizen of Bangladesh-Bangladeshi. You are also Bangladeshi but your national identity is
Bengali… they (Indigenous Peoples) can never be Bengalis…” And the struggle continued
again.
Inequality is the key reason of revolution in CHT. This was unacceptable to MN Larma, and
accordingly he formed a regional political platform, the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Samhati
Samiti (PCJSS) on 7 March 1972. Subsequently, an armed wing, the Shanti Bahini (Known as
“Peace Force”) was added to it to strengthen the struggle. And he was being killed on 10
November 1983 by the culprit of his own people. And the Jumma people lost the great leader
forever. But the struggle was still had been continued by his great younger brother jyotirindra
Bodhipriya Larma. During the arms struggle, the CHT has gone though with different
difficulties like, massacres, arson, torture, extortion, rape, killing after the rape and with the
alarming rate of genocide which has been carried out by the Bangladeshi Army’s and by the
settlers.
Since 1980 there have been 13 major instances of the massacre on the indigenous Jumma people
by the Muslim settlers and the Bangladesh military personnel. Among these I will take a few of
the cases as an example, like Kaukhali-Kalampati Massacre, 25 March 1980 - Bangladesh
Army and Muslim settlers gunned down 300 indigenous people. Golakpatimachara-
Machyachara-Tarabanchari Massacre, June-August 1983: - Bangladesh Army and Muslim
settlers executed month’s long campaign against the indigenous villages and murdered 800
indigenous people. Bhusanchara Massacre, 31 May 1984 - the massacre was carried out jointly
by the 26 Bengal Regiment of Bangladesh Army and Muslim settlers. At least 400 indigenous
people were killed. Langadu Massacre, 4 May 1989 - Muslim settlers murdered 40 indigenous
people, dead bodies never recovered. Logang Massacre, 10 April 1992 - Bangladesh army and
Muslim settlers massacred 400 indigenous people. There are also many more small and big mass
killings during the insurgency period in CHT. We also lost our Kalpana Chakma - the fearless
indigenous activist who was abducted on 12 June 1996 by the Army forces-that-be 23 years ago,
when she was only 20 years of age and till now none of the perpetrators were arrested and
brought to the justice. But the question is can we define this as a genocide? According to the
Black’s Law Dictionary, West group, Minn and USA define the term genocide in 1999 as “It is
an act with the intent to destroy, in whole or part natural ethnic racial or religious groups”. This
kind of systematic killing and genocide have been carried out during the arms struggle in CHT
till 1997.
However, finally, after nearly two decades of armed struggle the Bangladesh government and the
CHT indigenous Jumma people’s representative political party PCJSS come into the consensus
pick point to end the struggle. They have signed an agreement on 2 December 1997 which is
known as CHT Accord. And it has also come to known as one of the illusive Accord in
internationally. Moreover, even our former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been awarded the
UNESCO peace prize for her great initiative to bring a peace among all the CHT people. But
what happen after the Accord? Still the struggle continued. The illusive CHT accord has turned
into a curse to the CHT indigenous Jumma people and we might say this is another kind of
“Death Trap” for the CHT Jumma people. The Bangladesh government has lied to the CHT
Jumma people even after 18 years they failed to fully implement the CHT Accord. We have seen
our sister Tuma Ching Marma, Sujata Chakma and Sabita Chakma who has been killed after rape
by the Bengali settlers in a brutal and vandalise way and no justice prevailed yet. And thousand
of Land being grabbed in a continuous process by the Law enforces agencies, settlers Bengali;s
and also by different private companies in the name of development. Torture, killing, rape,
killing after rape, extortion, arson attacks are increasing at an alarming rate in CHT. The recent
communal attacks on Tripura indigenous Jumma people in Bandarban and the Buddhist Monk
killed in Bandarban this all are not apart from the systematic killing or a genocide in CHT. My
question to the government of Bangladesh is, how long if the CHT Jumma women, girls and
children will be raped, tortured, and killed after rape than the CHT will be at peace? How many
brothers and sister need to give their lives and bloodshed to build a peace in CHT? Do the
struggles still be continued in CHT?

References:
Website of PCJSS
Website of Angelfire
Islamism and genocide of minorities in Bangladesh, published by Hindu Writers Forum
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic
CHT Regional Council publication on a compilation of all laws related to CHT since the 1900 British
manual Act till CHT Accord.

Written by:
John Tripura
Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defender
E-mail: tripurajohn@gmail.com
Cell: 01921 790758