People of the plain land indigenous communities are still victims of discrimination with their various demands, including constitutional recognition, lying unmet for long.Although the International Day of World’s Indigenous People was observed on August 9, the people of the indigenous communities mostly do not know about the significance of the day and their demands.The country’s north-western district Naogaon is a home to 1.5 lakh people of the plan land indigenous communities; but the gloomy aspect of this is that a majority of such a big population is not aware of their rights.Their various organisations have long been pressing for 9-point demand, including constitutional recognition of the indigenous people, formation of a separate land commission for them and their education in their mother tongue.The present Awami League-led 14-party alliance government in its election manifesto had committed to recognise the constitutional rights of the indigenous people and meet their other demands.But the government’s inaction to implement their demands has created resentment among the indigenous community leaders.On the other hand, experts think that it is due to racial weakness that the indigenous organisations are not being able to raise any effective movement.As a result, repression, killing, rape and eviction are increasing day by day.People of different indigenous communities like Onrao, Munda, Pahan, Bhuimali, Murma and Mahato are living in large number in Dhamairhat, Patnitola, Sapahar, Niamatpur, Mahadevpur, Porsha and Badalgachhi of Naogaon.Jatiya Mohila Adibashi Union Parishad’s central committee president Rebeka Soren said although the present government made commitments several times, implementation of indigenous people’s demands, including constitutional recognition, separate land commission and education in mother tongue, is yet to be seen.Jatiya Adibashi Parishad central committee general secretary Sabin Munda said although the government had assured of implementing their nine-point demand, till today none of the demands has been met.She added they are facing discrimination everywhere—education, medical treatment and other service sectors.They are facing repression and becoming victims of torture and even killing in case of raising any protest for property.The rich people are evicting them forcibly from their land but the administration is not taking any appropriate measures in this regard.In most cases, they are denied justice.This deprivation of justice paves the way for the evil elements to make them further victims of torture, killing, rape and other kinds of repression.Their demand is distribution of khas land among them, alongside the landless people.Intellectual, poet and researcher on affaires of the ethnic communities Ataul HuqSiddique said characteristics of the indigenous people in the hill region are different from those of the plain land.The indigenous groups of plan land are relatively poorer and they cannot organise them to realise their demands due to class weakness.He suggested formation of a separate land commission for the indigenous communities and returns their land and accept their other demands.This will reduce repression on them and help establish their legitimate rights, he opined. -UNB, Naogaon
