New Delhi Feb 25, 2010: All roads led to Jantar mantar today at 11 am, as several hundreds of Peace loving Indigenous people of Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh came out on the streets in New Delhi to protest against the barbaric killing and communal attacks on the thousands of Jumma Indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh.
They also submitted an memorandum to the Honourable Prime minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh to seek the interventions of the Government of India with the Government of Bangladesh against the communal attacks on the tribals in the Chittagong Hill tracts by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal plain settlers and also to bring an end to the ongoing communal violence against the tribal peoples such as Chakmas,Marmas,Tripuris-who identify themselves as Jummas for practicing Jhum/Shifting cultivation.
The Protest rally was organized by CHTs Support Group,led by Mr Suhash Chakma, Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights(ACHR) and was backed by the Tripura Students Forum,Delhi(TSFD) with maximum support and co-operation!
The unfortunate killings also raise a legitimate question as to the award of a Peace prize awarded by the Govt. of India to the PM of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina in November 09 2009, for promoting Peace by resolving a long standing insurgency(problem) in Bangladesh by concluding the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, when the Indigenous People are not enjoying any peace but only faced persecution because of their ethnicity and religion.
The Protest groups urged the Government of India to take the following measures:
1. Make a public statement expressing concern about the attacks on the tribal peoples of the CHT and take all necessary measures to bring an end to the violence with full respect for the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
2.Urge the Government of Bangladesh to fully implement the CHT peace accord.
3.Provide a package for implementation of the CHT to ensure that both the communities can live in harmony.
Its been reported that till now 10 innocent persons, Jummas have died in the state riots, One Buddhist temple, One Church, a UNDP run centre and 300-400 houses have been completely burnt down and 2000 indigenous Jummas have been internally displaced in the attacks. Most of the displaced Jumma villagers have taken shelter in to the deep forest fearing further attacks and most of these indigenous victims whose houses have been burnt down have been passing days without food and staying under the open sky in the absence of any help coming from the authorities!
It is reported that on 19 February 2010 afternoon a group Bengali settlers went to the Gangaran Duar area of Bangladesh and put pillars on the land of Indigenous Jumma villagers for construction of house there. When the Jumma villagers protested and opposed the Bengali settlers, hundreds of Bengali settlers led by leaders of so-called Sama Odhikar Andolon under full protection by a group of army from Baghaihat zone of 8 Bir Bengal gathered at Gangaram Duar area and started to set fire on the houses of Jumma villages at night.
Since then the a regular planed attack was carried out by the Bengalis with the assistance of the Military Force on the Jumma Indigenous people which left many death and homeless.
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