The government and the state can be termed communal if different indigenous communities are not recognised constitutionally, said noted economist Prof Abul Barkat, criticising the government's stance on indigenous issue.
Supporting the remark, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said the state itself and its ruling class are grabbing the land of indigenous people due to absence of proper documents instead of protecting their rights to land.
They made the remarks at a reception programme for union parishad (UP) representatives who have been elected in the recent UP polls from indigenous communities across the country.
A total of 151 elected UP chairmen and members from indigenous communities, both of CHT and plain lands, were given the reception.
Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and Jatiya Adivasi Parishad jointly organised the event at the city's Shishu Academy.
Blaming the government for publishing false information on the number of indigenous people, Prof Barkat said as per the government statistics there are 17 lakh indigenous people in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in 2009-2010, while the real number is 25 lakh.
Terming this statistics a "demographic engineering", he said it was done in the CHT over the last three decades since 1976 through settlement of Bangalees and force acquisition of indigenous peoples' land.
Over 91 percent of the total population in CHT were indigenous in 1951, which is now 46 percent. It happened due to "demographic engineering" started from the tenure of late president Ziaur Rahman, he said.
The government has signed almost all the United Nations (UN) documents related to the rights of under-privileged communities. But its performance is contradictory, he said, adding, "It's noting but a betrayal to the people."
About the constitutional recognition, he called upon the government saying, " If you (the government) do not want to recognise them (indigenous people), please say this clearly."
NHRC Chairman Mizanur Rahman said that terming indigenous people "tribal" or "ethnic minorities" [by the government] is a "wrong decision" and added that the NHRC will act as a barrier to implement such wrong decision.
The commission in its five-year plan gives emphasis on the issue of indigenous peoples and their rights, he said.
Speaking as the chief guest, Hasanul Haq Inu, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on post and telecommunications, said on behalf of the parliamentary caucus on indigenous people, he will formulate a draft of "indigenous peoples rights act" and submit it to the government.
He also stressed the need for establishing a National Indigenous Commission to upheld values, cultures, norms, customs and traditions of the indigenous people.
Inu suggested appointing one or two members at every union parishad in areas populated by indigenous communities to specially look after their issues.
Presiding over the function, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam, urged the government and peoples' representatives to remain alert about the security of the indigenous women, as the incident of indigenous women repression increases alarmingly.
The speakers demeaned making the CHT land commission effective and establishing a separate land commission for the indigenous people in plain lands.
Sushasaner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad President Anil Marandi, General Secretary Rabindranath Soren also spoke.
The government on July 26 this year said the tribal people living in CHT are "ethnic minorities" and they should not be called "indigenous" in the region.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni briefed foreign diplomats and UN agencies in Dhaka on the issue. Read more at http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=195963
Source : The Daily Star
