Dream unfulfilled

Debrani Chakma

Everyday she has to cross a lot of hurdles to perform her duties. She walks through 22-kilometre inaccessible hilly path daily to reach her ordinary tin-shed office at the upazila Sadar.

As there is no UP Bhaban (building) in her union, she and other UP members including female ones are compelled to work at such a distant place from their homes.

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Suppose a meeting is convened at the office at 10 am. Then they have to start walking from 5 at early dawn from Barmachhori union, situated in a remote area down the Kalapahar hill on the Sarta.

Like other conscious people, Debrani Chakma too thinks they are not destined to live in such a bad condition, rather they have fallen victims of disparity.

Acute scarcity of water prevails in the undeveloped area. Most of the tube-wells are inoperative. So, people are forced to drink river on canal water.

The state of education is discouraging. Officially, 30 per cent people are educated. The statistics includes school dropouts. The status of female education did not improve. Four out of seven primary schools are nationalised ones. Teachers do not attend schools regularly. There is none to supervise daily activities in the schools. The situation could have been avoided if locals had been appointed on priority basis, thinks Debrani.

Debrani involved herself in politics after murder of her UP chaiman father Rabi Bhusan Chakma by former Shantibahini men in 1985. She was brought up in the family in a political atmosphere. The urge to enter politics intensified after death of her father.

Her father Rabi Chakma cherished a dream to develop his union as an ideal one. Debrani wanted to accomplish the unfinished task of her father who had a vision. Her husband Anil Chakma also encouraged her. Her priority areas are communication, education, water and sanitation, electricity and health care. She thinks many problems will be solved easily with development of communication system. She initially dreams of a metal road connecting Barmachhori with Lakkhichori. She also wants to establish a bazaar in her area.

But Debrani is a bit frustrated because she could not proceed according to her desire. Life comes to a standstill for 8,000 people in the area just after dusk because her union is yet to be brought under electrification programme.

Debrani who was elected chairperson only one and a half years back wants more government allocation for development of the neglected area. She is critical of the policies of local government. Because the centre which allocates an inadequate amount for uplift work also dictates the sector-wise expenditure.

Despite odds Debrani still believes it is possible to turn her UP into a people oriented organisation through direct solution to basic problems. People's participation in identifying problems and their solutions can ensure development in her area, according to her.