Land grabbing and inequality still haunt indigenous people

Many guests from Dhaka and Chittagong joined several hundred indigenous people who came from different areas of Rajshahi and adjoining districts for the programmes. The main event was held at the district council auditorium.

Uttar Bangla Adibasi Lahunti Network, an apex body of 17 aborigine people's organisations, is holding a month-long programme in Rajshahi commemorating the Santal people's heroic struggle against the British rulers.

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The aborigine people brought out a rally in the morning. Parading the city streets, the rally ended at the district council auditorium where a discussion meeting was held.

Workers Party Politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha attended the discussion as chief guest. Another WP member Anisur Rahman Mollik, Jono Shanghati Samity Organising Secretary Shaktipada Tripura, Prof Mesbah Kamal, Rabeta Saren, sister of assassinated aborigine leader Alfred Saren addressed the rally, among others.

JAP President Anil Marandi chaired the discussion.

The discussants portrayed the indigenous people's plight due to alleged grabbing of their lands by local influentials and indifference by the administration.

The indigenous people are suffering now as under British rule and Zamindars 150 years ago, they said.

They demanded constitutional identity of the ethnic people, compulsory primary education in their language, equal opportunity in jobs and a separate ministry to deal with their affairs.

They also demanded construction of a permanent memorial to the Santal heroes, protection of their traditional culture and research on those.

The 1855-57 Santal revolution enkindled the spirit of independence from the then British rule. The imperialist forces killed at least two million people, mostly Santals and farmers and suppressed the uprising.

The participants at the discussion meeting observed one minute's silence to honour thousands of Santal heroes including Shidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairab who scarified their lives for the cause of Santal rights and independence.

Later, aborigine male and females presented a cultural function headlined 'rise aborigines, work for the nation'. Songs, dances and recitation from poems in the function were for praise of the revolution heroes.