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Sunday, May 12, 2013

THE CHAKMAS: A brief note on their status & position today

By Suman Chakma

    In this article, I would love to present you the living conditions of the Chakmas in the outside world of the Chakmas excepting Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC), in Mizoram which is the sole seat of political administration of the whole world of Chakmas. These includes their political powers & identity, employment opportunities, daily livelihood and cultivating habits,etc.


Living conditions of the Chakmas Worldwide today:

I) In outside CADC, within Mizoram:
     There are now more than 1,00,000 Chakmas in Mizoram. A section of them have sort of self-rule within Mizoram in the form of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) constituted in 1972 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The Chakmas constitute 10% (according to 2011 census) of the total populations of Mizoram. They are the second largest group in Mizoram after majority Mizo.

     In CADC, about 35 per cent of the Chakmas living in Mizoram in India are included, the rest 65 per cent of the Chakmas in Mizoram are outside CADC. The outside Chakmas of CADC in Mizoram also faces the same problems and misfortunate situations which other Chakmas are facing in the outside world, as the government of CADC can not provide any help or support to them. And the government of Mizoram has little role over them in the form of developmental scheme and aiding funds, as they consider the Chakmas in Mizoram have already been showered with bless from Jesus Christ with autonomous power. Moreover, the Chakmas are Buddhists in religion, which is why also imparts a negative impression in the Christian dominating state. So, the Chakmas of outside CADC in Mizoram are included neither within CADC nor within Mizoram outside CADC or both (Aeh Changhma gunn di-hakke sereh posson). There is no sympathetic facilities for them except antipathy and apathy from the Mizoram's government. Thus, they fend for themselves as there is no other ways.

     The political power of the Chakmas outside CADC in Mizoram can be said as NIL, with unknown identity having voting right only. Their employment opportunities depends on their hard works and toils. Most of them earns their livelihood as daily wages. Others helps themselves  by Jhum-cultivation. God knows about the meagre section of peoples how they live. But a good markable quality they are blessed with that is their dedication towards their profession whatever may be it is, which is a good one, and a similarities with the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and other north-eastern states and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh. However, in my opinion, this would not last long for good until and unless we do not help each other and remain united. Following TEAM, meaning "Together Everyone Achieves More".


II) In Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh:
     There are about more than 3,00,000 Chakmas in BangladeshThe Chakmas are the largest tribe of Bangladesh. The Chakmas generally lived in the highland valleys. Most Chakmas are Buddhists, but some practice animism.

     Although, I personally did not go for survey, detailing about the Chakmas in Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban (within Chittagong Hill Tracts). But, now datas are available in the internet, websites, blogs, projects, etc from which most of the Researchers does this day for research purposes sans toiling in person. As this is 21st century, an informative era, everything (I mean informations) can be googled and study with in a blink of an eye. That the political power of the Chakmas out there within CHT is like CADC as mediocre in power and administration or may be lesser. The Chakma peoples from every corners, villages, sub-division, towns in CHT are rushing abroad like common France, Korea, Canada, London, Australia, Malaysia and so on, as if Tsunami in the Pacific areas, Katrina in the Atlantic areas, Earthquakes everywhere, etc are washing them off away from their homeland. I say you folks," there is no peace and proud in this rude world but inside home !!". Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarban and others are your home, your motherland. They will give you more peace may be not proud {as they were and are still under-developed because of you peoples, who left her (motherland) helpless and lead to capture by the intruders like long-beard and shabby bangali settlers in your own land} than in Paris, London or whatever. Like it does me, I belong to Borapansury, CADC !!!. The Chakmas of Bangladesh are doing  selfish though they are working hard to get VISA or joining SPOKEN LANGUAGE COURSES. I am not including those who are professional like Dr. Amit Chakma, or Dr. Bhumitra Chakma and many others etc. They make me proud being a fellow Chakma. I am also not excluding you all (Originally Chakmas- all the Chakmas belongs to one family that's why all of us are related each other if we follows Gozas or Guttis) from my rude words, who have my blood cells in your veins and arteries and are from within CHT who fleed away and left your motherland.

     It is not the faults of those helpless Chakmas who are guarding the motherland with bravery activities.It is yours who left.This gave the opportunity to Sheikh Hasina led Bangla government to burn down your Buddhist Monastery and Pagodas into ashes and slay and torture your loving sisters, mothers and family members. Take the example of Subhash Chandra Bose, the freedom fighter of India. He travelled to Germany, Japan and formed Azad Hind Fauj in 1942 to throw away the britishers who is already ruling India,but he failed somewhere in north-eastern states of India and never appear again. However, Gandhiji was successful without arms following Ahimsa (the non-violence movement), which a real buddhist should follow like the Tibetan Buddhist monks are doing today. If the Tibetians were in your place they would have freed their motherland but it is because of  the Chinese,though the Chinese do not have long-beard and ugly looks  but they are more worse than those long-beard shabby bangali settlers. They are inhumane in nature. You are nothing less worse than the Tibetans, the internalional refugees now. People will know us as international refugees not the inhabitants of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), because of you peoples who are selfish and leaving the motherland with the help of some white peoples or taking the help of Lord Buddha's robe in the name of helping back after earning Euros, Pounds, etc within stay in white places. I do not want to mention and waste  my blog with PCJSS and UPDF, they are meant for killing each other not for the protection of motherland and its people. Wake up both of you groups !! Have negotiation and save our people. His Holiness Maha Thera Sadana Nanda Bhante (aka Bhana Bante) tried to prevent you from from killing each other and left you, but still you do not keep his words and follow him.

To the Chakmas of Bangladesh: Kindly, take away the tip (bindi or something they call with love) from your girls's forehead when they decorate themselves especially during traditional occasions  etc. They looks as ugly as bangali women in Bangladesh.

III) In Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and others states:

A brief note on the background of the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh:
     Under the Indira-Mujib agreement of 1972, it was decided that the Chakmas who came to India from the erstwhile East Pakistan before 25 March 1971, will be considered for the grant of citizenship. Moreover the Supreme Court in its ruling of 9 January 1996 has directed the State Government to forward all applications of Chakmas for citizenship to the Government of India and not to evict any of them while their application is under consideration. M.M. Jacob, while expressing the view of the Central Government stated that,





"The presence of these Chakmas in the area has also not resulted so far in any major law and order problems though some isolated instances of friction between locals and these Chakmas have come to our notice…. That the Central Team which visited Arunachal Pradesh to study the problems of these refugees expressed the view that the grant of citizenship would introduce an element of responsible social behavior in these refugees".

He further added,





"Refugees from Bangladesh who came to India between 1964 and March 25, 1971 are eligible to the grant of citizenship according to the policy of the Government, as most of the migrants have already been granted citizenship".

Further more he asserted that,





"Keeping the above in view there is no question of deporting these refugees from the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The general public in the state will have to be convinced that the burden of rehabilitation of the refugees will have to be shared by the country as a whole including Arunachal Pradesh".

     I shall not say much about the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh as everything depicts by the above given paras. As per Government of India record, the population of the Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh is approximately 60,000. Now, it is more. The population in Chakmas, Changlang district is 40,000 followed by that in Lohit with 15,000; Papumpare has only 5,000 Chakma population. If the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh feels that they are being abandoned or uncared-for by the centre. It is not at all true. They have every right as much as the every citizen of Arunachal Pradesh has. The rest is a political play to gain political favour by the local political leaders and local student's body shenanigans. 

     The Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh are untiring hard-working, professionals, and united irrespective of regional fellings, they all belong to Arunachal Pradesh whether they belong to Changlang, Lohit or Papumpare. Unlike CADC, mostly Chawngteite, no no.....Kamalanagarite (The Chakmas belong to Head-Quarter of Chakma Autonomous District Council), they have this unique quality,the feeling called "regional feeling". We can expect no innovative steps or help from them but only shameful things. You led us down, you waste products of CADC !!!

To the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh: Try to change frequently the members of the COMMITTEE FOR CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS OF THE CHAKMAS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH (CCRCAP) to get effective results and run actively. I have a doubt about them.

If you readers, are not enough quenching about these toiling  refugees (not from heart) now keep on scrolling here: ARUNACHAL CHAKMA TIMES.

     There are about 65,000 Chakmas in Tripura accourding to 2001 census. The Chakmas in Tripura are mostly doctors, engineers, etc in professions. Recently Tripura Civil Services (TCS), but they are mixed of Bengali-Chakmas in cultures, I guess they are all-rounders. Keep it up guys to create a new COMMUNITY called Chakmo-Dev barma (cock-tail of Chakma and Dev Barma) or Beng-Chak (cock-tail of Bengali and Chakmas) and so on.
       
The Chakmas of Tripura have powers & functions and social identity as well. Keep it up Bengo boys !!!

There are also many Chakmas in Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal states in India, Rakhine state in Myanmar, and other parts of the world whose suffering are beyond words and unknown to us. They have neither constitutional rights nor an identity. May god helps you all and I feel sorry, for you are being a part of Us.


Concentration of the Chakmas Worldwide today:


                                                                                      Table - 1 
                                                                                                       Chakmas in the World

                                                                 Country                             Total Population       Total Percentage
                                                            All Chakma Population                 550,000                           100





                                                            Bangladesh                                    300,000                              55
                                                            India                                                200,000                              36
                                                            Burma                                             20,000                                 5
                                                            Other parts of the world                30,000                                4

                                                              Sources: UNHCR Report on Migration, Global Resettlement, 2009
                                                                                            
                                                                   

                                                                                                                       Table-2
                                                                  Status of Chakmas in the Northeast and Eastern States of India


                                                State                           Status                 Scheduled Status              Total Population
                                              Arunachal Pradesh          Refugees             Refugees                                60,000
                                              Assam                                 Citizens                 ST                                           5,000 
                                              Meghalaya                        Citizens                  ST                                              610
                                              Mizoram                            Citizens                  ST                                        71,283 (8.5%)
                                              Tripura                               Citizens                  ST                                        64,293 (6.5%)
                                              West Bengal                      Citizens                  ST                                         3,000

                                                    Source: Office of the Registrar General, Government of India, 2001 on Population. 
                                                    Also see Migration Report-2009.




This article was also published in Meri News (Power to People), India's largest citizen journalism based news platform.


5 comments:

  1. Nice one @ Suman Babu...Your piece of writing is amazing.Keep it up...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. # 1 Anonymous: Thank you for your compliment...!!!

      Delete
  2. I luv it the way you describe the Kamalanagarite...They are hopeless...Good work buddy...

    ReplyDelete
  3. we want contact you
    caesarankana@rediffmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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