A new dawn for Mro people

Two of the textbooks of class two in Mro language distributed among primary school students in Bandarban. PHOTO: STAR

It was a different day for the Mro tribe, a new beginning for the backward community. All were in a festive mood atop the Chimbuk hills in Bandarban, the second highest peak in Bangladesh, when primary textbooks in Mro language were launched at a simple function there.

It was a solemn moment when children, sitting on the floor of a community centre, read in a chorus a poem from their book in Mro language.

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The poem reads: Aanging cramo da aanging ka akrak aakong tama komsadh anoy chado komo aanging naong kom (We have no fear, our sorrow will end, a new dawn must come, and we shall overcome).

Chimbuk was selected for the launching as a mark of gratitude to Man Lay Mro, a 22 year-old youth who innovated the Mro alphabets about 20 years ago. Man Lay was born at Chimbuk, a tourist spot.

Mro people say Man Lay also gave them a religion but the young man disappeared in 1984 after innovating the alphabets. But they believe he is still alive.

Though the alphabets were innovated over two decades ago, textbooks in Mro language were published recently, thanks to the efforts by Gonosasthya Kendra, an NGO.

It has printed and distributed 18,000 textbooks from class 1 to class 111 for primary school children of Mro community.

The books contain stories on the International Mother Language Day (21st February), Liberation War and war heroes like Bir Sreshttha Motiur Rahman, Bir Sresttha Nur Moha-mmad and a biography of Man Lay Mro.

It is a turning point in the history of Mro tribesmen, many of them said while talking to this correspondent at the function.

This will increase the rate of literacy and open up a floodgate of opportunities for us, said Chamelee Mro, a young unmarried Mro girl.

"I will make my children educated when I become a mother. Learning in mother tongue will be easy for them".

A 60-year-old man lamented for not having the language when he was young. "Had I got the alphabet at my youth, I could write to my darling. But it's too late for me now."

Gonosasthya has also arranged a three-month training for primary school teachers on Mro language. After training, they will teach Mro children in their mother tongue at the 15 primary schools in the Mro-inhabited areas in Bandarban.

Thirty-five youths including girls from the Mro community are participating in the training course.

Rang Lai Mro, Chairman of Sualock Union Parishad, formally launched the books at the function, held early this month.

"The books in Mro language will make learning easy and reduce the drop-out rate in primary schools", he told this correspondent.

The Mro is very old tribe in the hills. They are lagging behind in education because they could not learn in their mother tongue, Rang Lai Mro said.

Introduction of textbooks will remove the centuries-old barrier, he said, expressing his profound gratitude to Men Lay Mro.

Speaking on the occasion, Mir Murtuza Ali, Deputy Director of Gonosasthya Kendra said, the people of Mro community are lagging behind other communities like Chakma, Marma and Tripura in all respects. Text books in Mro language will remove the barriers to spread of education.

The Mro indigenous people live only in Bandarban hill district. According to their own enumeration, their number is about 65,000 while government statistics puts it at around 30,000.

The Chimbuk valley is nine kilometres from Bandarban town. The Mro people live in hills in Roangchari, Ruma, Thanchi, Lama, Alikadam and Naikkhongchari upazilas. They are also called Murong.

Among 11 indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Mro are in the fourth position after Chakma, Marma and Tripura tribes in terms of population.